The Hollow Strawberry and the Black Wagtail
by Cpl.Leon
Summary: They who dare defy fate are rare, for two such people walk the thin line between god and man. A young man that became a death god and a Sekirei that descended from the heavens only to bring death. When the red string of fate binds them to each other, will they learn to love and triumph in the city of battles or will the city be bathed in red instead?
1. Chapter 1: Leaving the Nest

Hey everyone Leo here again, as you guys know the story wasn't well received by certain reviewers and their constructive criticism may have dampened my will to write for a few months hence the hiatus. I was looking to the readers to point me in the direction of a story I was writing, looking to please the readers and follow their desires even while I didn't always agree. However looking at my email everyday and finding at least one more follower just reminded me that someone somewhere likes my writing as bad as it is. Thus with some research and quite a bit of hesitation I present you a rewrite of The Hollow Strawberry and the Black Sekirei. Ps. Credit to Ghostface112 who wrote Veiled Moon, he was the main source of inspiration for this story. Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei or Bleach, wish I did though.

**Prologue: Leaving the Nest**

The town of Karakura was a quiet town in the eyes of most; no large shopping malls or historical sites worth visiting save for the unusually large number of ghost sightings that seem to occur there. Being close to winters in Japan there were no birds to be seen small in the town, the rapidly lowering temperature causing them to migrate to warmer regions. Despite it being nearly eight in the morning barely any sunlight shone through the autumn morning, leaving the town's inhabitants to wake more slowly when compared to the activity and energy the town's residents usually had in spring or summer at around the same time.

Well, this was the case for most of the town anyways. In a residential district somewhere within the quiet and peaceful town was a small family clinic, a place that mainly treated small cases of illness and injury. Though the clinic get many customers for a small family run clinic, nearly every morning it seems the doctor of said clinic seems to be the one that would soon require the most treatment.

"GOOD MORNING ICHIIIIIGOOO!" The loud and comically cheerful voice of the doctor shouted, abruptly ending the illusion of silence and peace the neighborhood had.

"Damn it old man!" Another voice could be heard shouting, this one belonging to a young man in his late teens with a voice that could only be compared to a katana blade being slowly sharpened on a Japanese water stone.

The next moment, the body of the middle aged patriarch of the Kurosaki household was thrown out of the window of a room from the second floor. His body was marked by what looked like impact craters in the shape of fists all lover his upper body, the one that looked like it had the most force applied to the blow was the one on his right cheek which was little more than a giant red welt with a large indent now.

"That's what you get for bothering me on a Saturday goat face!" The eldest Kurosaki child, Ichigo Kurosaki, a tall eighteen year old with a lean muscular build and a head of bright neon orange hair shouted. The boy leaned out of his shattered window to glare at the twitching mass that was his father on the ground below.

"Ichi-nii, Breakfast is ready!" A little girl, his younger sister, Yuzu, called from down the hall.

Huffing one last time at the antics of his father, the teen proceeded down the hall to the bathroom for some much needed cleaning up. A long sigh escaped his throat as he moved to his closet to pick up his clothes from the closet, only to find it empty of any clothing. Ichigo's mind went blank for a moment, his brain trying to explain the reason as to why his closet was empty. His eyes caught sight of the suitcase off in the corner of his room, taking a moment to remember what had transpired over a week ago.

_"Today's the day isn't it?"_ The teen thought as he ran the memory through his head again.

_***One Week Ago***_

"Oh my, if it isn't Kurosaki-kun! What brings you to my humble shop this fine afternoon?" The near constantly aloof and cheerful voice of Kisuke Urahara, owner of a small candy shop in Karakura Town and recently reinstated Soul Reaper called out.

The pair were seated on opposite sides of a Chabudai table within the living area in the back of the store. The shopkeeper had his characteristic green and white striped bucket hat and black haori with white diamond patterns on while his fan hit most of the lower portion of his face as usual. Ichigo was seated opposite the man, clad in his Soul Reaper attire: a black shihakusho and several tattoo like bands on his forearms and ankles while an X shaped pattern decorated his chest, on his neck was a black bone-like guard that looked similar to his other marking on his body. A thick red chain-like strap across his chest holding the giant Khyber knife that was his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, diagonally across his back. The sword itself was a massive blade as tall and almost as wide as its wielder wrapped in grey, metal-like bandages with a black grip and no hilt, a small black chain dangled off the end of its handle.

"Hat n' clogs, you're the one that called to get over here after my patrol so stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want." The orange haired teen said, an exasperated sigh escaping him at the shopkeeper's antics.

"My, my~ impatient as always Kurosaki-kun what makes you think me calling you over just means I want something done, can a teacher not ask for some company from his favorite pupil every once in a while?" The shopkeeper grinned from under his fan, earning him a deadpan look from his 'favorite student'.

"Nevertheless you are right once more Kurosaki-kun." The blonde shopkeeper said, flicking his fan shut and his voice suddenly becoming serious.

The teen stiffened at that, the few times he had heard that tone of voice from the shopkeeping mad scientist was when he had discovered something very, very wrong was about to happen. If there was something bad enough to make Kisuke of all people serious then it was more than worth investigating. Ichigo nodded once, fixing his gaze on the man and hardening his near permanent scowl to the point that it could be burned into metal.

"Have you heard that Tokyo had been acquired by a medical company called MBI?" The shopkeeper asked, earning a quick nod from the orange haired reaper.

As of late everyone's heard of the mysterious company called "MBI", a strange organization that first rose up about twenty one years ago and since then made huge advanced in medical technology. Uryu had mentioned that his father had some trouble with then due to the organization's extremely aggressive expansion as of late. Recently, MBI had even managed to own nearly all of Tokyo and decided to name the city "Shinto Teito" or so he had heard. Apparently the company wasn't limited to just medical products as since it's inquisition Shinto had experienced extreme improvements in security, public transport among various other changes that had been made to the city.

"Yeah, haven't thought of it much now that you mention it." Ichigo said, his steel gaze never wavering despite the possible implications of a human organization messing with spiritual affairs.

"As I'm sure you already know Kurosaki-kun, we Soul Reapers exist to maintain the fragile balance between the dead and the living. Yet we cannot interfere with the affairs of the living directly, given our status as well... dead people." Kisuke said, lifting his head so he could look at the teen he was addressing eye to eye.

"But since you're still alive that means you however, can interfere and that's what we need you to do. Over the course of the past few weeks a large number reiyoku spikes have been detected in Shinto Teito, these...individuals that have strangely high and unstable reiyoku have seemingly been battling each other for some reason any and all human witnesses have been silenced by MBI." Kisuke said, making his point clear to the young Reaper in front of him.

"So you need me to stop it, yet since these people are alive I can't use most of my Soul Reaper abilities?" Ichigo asked, already hating what the shopkeeper was suggesting.

"Actually, these people seem to be drawn to human with above average reiyoku for some reason so you Kurosaki-kun are more like...bait!" Kisuke said, flicking open his fan over his mouth in the end of his sentence in an attempt to hide his grin.

With a small sigh, Ichigo uttered the words he may come to regret for the following three years. "Fine, when do I leave?"

Kisuke had to take a moment to steady himself at the word he heard exit the mouth of the teenager, the teen that had argued and reacted explosively at the slightest implication of change for two whole years since becoming a Reaper didn't utter a word of argument. A smile crept to the shopkeeper's face again as he fanned his face slowly, tipping his head down so the teen in front of him couldn't see the satisfied expression he now wore.

"Next week Kurosaki-kun, and don't worry about college I took the liberty of applying to a place I know you had your sights on for since you graduated last week, Teito Medical." The shopkeeper said.

"Well, see you later Hat n' clogs." Ichigo said as he turn to leave, leaving a rather satisfied Kisuke behind.

"Kyoraku-taicho and Ukitake-taicho weren't kidding; when the young ones grow up we old folks are left behind in the dust..." Kisuke said as he stared wistfully at the door the young Sould Reaper had just left.

_***Present***_

Ichigo opened his luggage case fishing out a sweater and thick, long pants and his thermals beside finally taking out his towel and moving to the bathroom.

_***A Short Time Later***_

Ichigo sat at the same table he had eaten at for most of his life, in the house he had lived in for just as long. It took some time for the true impact of where his life was leading to sink in. He was about to depart from his home for what could be months or years depending on how bad the situation in Teito was. His family ate in silence even his father, just like when he broke the news to them over dinner a week ago. Yuzu had openly protested at first, finding any argument she could as to why Ichigo couldn't stay in Karakura until Ichigo said it was another assignment from the Soul Society.

Yuzu piped down at that, even the normally stoic Karin and his overactive father knew just what a how severe anything like a hollow outbreak in a densely populated city could be. Over the course of the week his friends met up once, he contemplated telling them what he was going to Shinto Teito to do, but decided against it. his friends had wasted enough of their high school life helping him, he didn't want to waste their college experience the same way unless he had no choice in the matter. Instead, he simply told them a half truth, he was going to Teito to study for an extended period of time.

Gathering his dishes from the table and moving them into the sink, Ichigo wordlessly walked up his stairs to gather his luggage, muttering his thanks for the food on his way past the table. As the Soul Reaper left, his little sister, Yuzu, a light brown haired girl with large, hazel eyes looked down from her plate.

"Ichi-nii is really leaving isn't he?" She said, earning a sad nod from her twin sister, Karin.

"Don't worry Yuzu, it isn't like Ichi-nii wouldn't call once in a while." Karin said, her black eyes darting from the stairs their brother had disappeared up and her twin sister.

_***Some Time Later***_

Ichigo's family waited with him for the train to arrive, Yuzu clinging to his side as Karin held his hand. His father was uncharacteristically silent. All was still until the sound of the tracks rattling brought the Vizard out of his daydream; he bent down to pick up his luggage bag as the train made a curve down the track and entered his vision.

Noticing his teary eyes sisters, Ichigo sighed and smiled before kneeling down to look his sisters in the eye. "Hey it's not like I'll be gone forever, I'll be back before you know it." He said.

The twins hugged their brother as the train came to a halt behind him, prompting him to let them go and watch him walk on board along with a few other passengers. Before the ddors could close his father decided to chip in on the feel train and give Ichigo some real advice.

"Son, remember that even though your school years are the best of your life, your college years determine your future." He said, earning a wide eyed look from his son. All pretense of seriousness evaporated as his usual goofy grin made it's way to the former captain's face.

"Remember to find a good woman and give me lots of grandkids you useless prude for a son!" Isshin shouted at the top of his lungs as the doors were closing on Ichigo's face, letting all the occupants of the station hear the man's "advice"

Despite for hearing the angered shouted from the Vizard from beyond the closed doors of the train, the sheer rage coming from the teenage Soul Reaper could be felt even as the train departed. Isshin smirked as he pumped his fist in the air in an obvious victory pose.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys Leo here again, update schedule will be a chapter every two to three weeks depending on how bad college work is.

**Chapter 2: A Grey Feather In A Moonless Sky **

The usual silence of a Japanese autumn mountainside was interrupted by the loud rattling of the train that was chugging along its track to its destination. On board, almost all passengers were fast asleep as the train kept on its way to the city of Shinto Teito. Among the sleeping passengers, our favorite strawberry Soul Reaper slumbers peacefully... or so it seems.

Deep in the recesses of his soul, where none have visited without his permission and remain alive for long, our Soul Reaper wakes up a hard concrete surface. Opening his eyes slowly, the orange haired boy looks around his soul's inner sanctum. His inner world had changed much since his last visit, where tall inverted skyscrapers once stood strong now only laid ruins of them. Apparently when his inner city was badly damaged during his Dangai training, instead of try and repair the buildings, he let nature take its course... literally.

Trees of various sizes grew out of the sides of the ruined buildings; the season of autumn had clearly taken hold in his soul as well, the leaves of the trees in their various state of decay made the forest seem like it was ablaze. Only the trees in one area were spared from the seasons, the place his blade loved the most the place where he always awoke when he came to his inner world. Said place was a hanging garden, a circular structure suspended by two white marble bridges that connected to the mirroring ruined cities on either side of his inner world. Here is where Zangetsu tended to the plants that represented each of the most important people he has ever met.

Walking through the "heart" of his soul, he allowed himself to take a trip down memory lane for the moment while he passed each plant. First he saw Chad's plant, a massive and unyielding oak tree that was split into two sides of distinct black, white and red coloration of his two spiritually enhanced arms. Next he passed Uryu's plant, a white and skinny plant that curved to one side while a creeper vine slip down its top, giving it the appearance of a quincy's bow.

After a while of walking and passing the representations of all his friends and comrades, the Soul reapers of the Gotei 13 and even Riruka the Fullbringer brought him to his destination. In the center of the beautiful and exotic hanging garden was the iconic flagpole in which Zangetsu always stood on, he black cloaked Zanpaktou nodded in greeting from atop his perch.

Giving a casual smile to his partner, Ichigo simple raised his palm and gave a short wave. "Yo,old man Zangetsu."

The sword spirit gave his wielder a curt nod as he always did, his eyes holding their usual cold and serious gaze from beyond his red tinted sunglasses. **"Ichigo, you seem to be in a calmer mood now. I was getting tired of the thunder."** The spirit said, his usually baritone voice leaking a hint of irritation.

Ichigo merely have a small shrug in response. "Blame my old man for that one, he never stop pissing me off." The Vizard said, looking up to the blue inverted sky of his inner world.

Zangetsu merely nodded at his wielder, his gaze suddenly becoming concerned**. "Ichigo be careful, I have a feeling the situation in Shinto Teito isn't as simple as some humans manifesting their powers. Rather, it is something we have never encountered; even as we approach the city I feel the air is thick was some sort of energy I can't identify."**

With those words the sword spirit ended the connection to his wielder, throwing the orange haired Reaper out of his inner world and back onto the still moving train. Rubbing the stiffness out of the back his neck, Ichigo scanned the various passengers that were in various states of slumber. Suddenly a bright flash blinded the teenage Soul Reaper for a moment, forcing him to raise a hand to shield his eyes.

By the time his eyes had adjusted to the brightness, the teen realized that the train had indeed left the shade of the mountains and now travelled along a raised track toward Shinto Teito. The city itself was visible in all its glory, tall skyscrapers and modern buildings shone brightly as light reflected off their glass windows. Various passengers slowly awoke as the light hit their faces; one by one they turned their heads to look at the glorious and modern city of Shinto Teito. Ichigo merely sighed as he swung his head up to stare at the ceiling of the train.

_"If only they knew..."_ Ichigo thought as he closed his eyes once more.

_***Later***_

As the train reached Shinto Station, Ichigo swung the duffle bag containing his belongings over his shoulder. Releasing a sigh as he stepped out of the train, Ichigo smoothened out the wrinkles on the clothes his father made him wear. Said clothing consisted of a black dress shirt and black slacks, complete with a white tie around his neck. His normally untamed and uncombed short neon orange hair was combed off the right, while still spiked at various places it made him look more orderly at least.

Thinking back on why he was wearing the clothes his was now clad in he remembered his father saying something along the lines of. _"You should wear this son; with the way you look right now no landlord would rent a place to you!"_

With that explanation and his father's constant pestering, the orange haired Soul Reaper finally gave in and wore the clothes he was given. He had to admit he looked less like a punk now, if anything people would think him a businessman... or a gangster. Judging from the whispers of the people or mostly the women who he passed by, it really could be either one.

_"Well whatever, it's not like I care what they think anyways. What's important is finding a place to stay."_ Ichigo thought as he scanned a board loaded with flyers of various apartments, flats and other sorts of housing that was being advertised.

From the corner of his eyes, Ichigo caught sight of an older flyer with the words Izumo Inn printed on it. On the paper a picture of what appeared to be an old styled Japanese house along with the address of the Inn, a certain set of rules?

"Let's see here... no sexual contact... no nudity... no harsh language...no fighting... meals provided and a room sized at six Tanami for 50,000 yen a month... This is a pretty damn good deal." Ichigo mumbled to himself, already tapping the address into his cell phones built in GPS.

_***Later***_

Upon leaving the station, the teen immediately felt something was off. Years of being tossed into fights of both spiritual and living, along with being watched for the majority of the time he received his powers as a Soul Reaper made for good training as to when someone was watching him. Little signs such as rotating traffic cameras that lingered and adjusted their rotation slightly to follow him as he passed, or the odd amount of news chopper and crews that were conveniently reporting an explosion on a gas line or a traffic accident.

_"Maybe I'm just paranoid, no human organization could have control over spiritual elements of any nature... but the Gotei 13 have been slipped up before..."_ Ichigo though, absentmindedly putting his hands into his pockets as he walked along the streets of Shinto Teito.

Ichigo walked on for a while, taking note of any stores and supermarkets that he would need to visit over the course of the next few years. As expected, all the places in Shinto were a great deal bigger than what he was used to. As a teenager who rarely ever visited any places outside of his home in the small and quiet town of Karakura he had never really seen quite so many large and tall buildings in such a tightly packed space...well save for his inner world.

_"So I guess I used to have a thing for urban places, big deal..."_ The teen mumbled as he recalled the recent condition of his inner sanctuary.

Looking back up to the buildings, he couldn't help but notice the tallest structure in the centre of Shinto Teito. The building was none other than the headquarters of MBI, the building itself was little more of a giant tower of reflective glass that had a massive MBI logo on a stainless steel sign near the top of it, the sunlight that glinted off the damned thing was enough to blind anyone that looked directly at it.

Releasing a long sigh, the teen decided that was enough sightseeing for one day, he was reaching his destination already anyways. Keeping his ever present scowl on his face, he approached the Inn. The building itself was a classic two level Japanese house, strangely enough he could feel something...wrong with the Inn or more so the people in it that made his eyes widen in shock.

While Ichigo was never good at sensing reiatsu on account of his own massive excess of energy that constantly drowned out the reiatsu of anyone else in his vicinity. However, the reiatsu he felt within the individuals residing in the Inn was in a word...wrong. The energy he felt wasn't pushing against him like the reiatsu of people he fought against; it was very much the opposite in this case, they were drawing him closer and reaching out to him.

_"Right, I haven't done this since my first Soul Reaper days but let's try this for a bit..."_ Ichigo thought to himself as he gently raised his right hand, seeping reiatsu into his surroundings.

Slowly a long ribbon rose from the ground was white as snow; the ribbon represented a blank slate of an ordinary human with completely no spiritual power. What he was looking for was ribbons with an odd texture or color, something to signify that it was hostile and dangerous... there. Among the mass of white, a group off oddly colored ribbons floated through: one was a reddish orange hue almost as though it was confused between which of the two colors to be, more strange was the fact that it looked to be ablaze. Bright yellow flames seemed to erupt from within the ribbon charring the edges of the fabric; this was a telltale sign of an unstable power that was damaging the user which was never a good sign.

Another ribbon beside the burning one was a faint pink color; it danced and moved playfully in the wind in ways normal ribbons would never be able to, possibly a more playful personality? The next ribbon was more secluded from the group, it was a maroon colored one that seemed to be small and still, unremarkable and this possibly meant that one was the weakest. The final ribbon was... complicated, to be an extremely long ribbon half of it looked to be a beautiful shade of lavender. The ribbon snaked around the other oddly colored ribbons protectively, with an almost motherly aura about it. The other half of the ribbon was a darker shade of purple, with what looked to be an old hannya mask printed on it for some reason. All of the ribbons seemed to be drawing him closer, tempting his very soul almost seductively.

Ichigo gasped slightly as he felt something else come up from the other direction in which the odd spiritual ribbons gathered. It was another ribbon; this one was a grey and covered in black designs that mimicked wisps' of smoke. It was quite far away and difficult for the Reaper to properly gauge its characteristics other than its general color and shape. The only thing he could tell quite clearly was that whoever the ribbon belonged to seemed to have a strange attraction to his own reiatsu, the grey ribbon was slowly getting closer to his own black and white ribbon. What also seemed strange was that despite being so far away from him the ribbon could still be felt at all, as if it were somehow connected to his senses.

_"I guess I'll investigate the closer ones first, why do they have to be in the inn where I might stay in though?"_ Ichigo thought as he knocked on the front door of the Inn.

Upon hearing the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, Ichigo let his scowl softened and instead let a soft and rare smile grace his normally fierce features, no use in appearing menacing to his new landlord or landlady.

The door swung open to reveal a slim yet shapely woman with fair skin and large brown eyes, she wore the traditional attire of a miko: a purple hakama, white haori all held together with a sash-like belt. What got the Soul Reaper's attention was her hair, it was waist length and worn with shorter bags framing her face the color of her hair was lavender purple.

_"So she's the purple ribbon..." _ Ichigo thought to himself as he bowed slightly. "Hi my name is Ichigo kurosaki, are you the landlady here? I saw your advertisement and I was wondering if your have a free room." Ichigo said holding out the flyer for the woman to see.

The woman smiled softly and gently bowed. "Of course, my name is Miya Asama and I am the landlady here. Please come in and have a seat while we discuss the term of living here." The woman said, stepping aside to let the young man inside.

_***MBI Headquarters around the same time***_

Something was wrong and every employee, handler and the two Sekirei in the massive structure that was MBI headquarters knew it. To put it plainly, anyone that was merely inside the illustrious building could die a painful and slow death at any time. The cause of the problem ironically is also the solution to most of MBI's problems, Sekirei Number four Karasuba or better known as the black Sekirei.

Since a couple of hours ago the grey haired woman had begun to pace the corridors of MBI headquarters seemingly without a destination in mind, instead of the small smile she always held there was an unsatisfied frown and her eyes narrowed and angry. If one dared to get close enough, they would see a faint blush on her face and her hitched and ragged breathing.

"I know you're here my Ashikabi... I could feel where you were the moment you released that strange energy to find me. Now ... You're mine..." the Black Sekirei mumbled as she moved towards the exit of MBI headquarters, her shaking Nodaichi in her grasp.


	3. Chapter 3: Blades Clash and Sparks Fly

Hey guys Leo here again, writing this one immediately after posting the last chapter. Uploaded a week early at a thousand words longer than the last chapter, are you happy? Well there's where the good news ends, since i may not be able to post for a while since I'm going on vacation to Hokkaido until the 28th this month.

_**Chapter 3: Blades Clash and Sparks Fly**_

A long sigh broke the silence of an inn within the northern region of Shinto Teito; said inn was a traditional Japanese styled two level house now housing a certain orange haired Soul Reaper. Autumn was now turning winter and to temperature was really setting in; snow was falling for the first time that winter outside as Ichigo walked out of the front door of the inn.

The young hybrid Reaper had a thick black winter jacket over the black dress shirt he wore since the start of the day, his landlady had told him that the other residents of the inn would be down for dinner when it was ready in a few hours. Since he had some time to kill before eating dinner then taking bath, Ichigo decided it would be nice to walk around his new residence and familiarize himself with any stores or clinics he may need to visit in the future.

Ichigo began to wander aimlessly, enjoying the scenery and the satisfying feeling of fresh snow crunching beneath his feet. The young Reaper passed the overlook in which he could see the heavily built up city center of Shinto Teito, the numerous bright lights from within the city reflecting off the massive glass monstrosity that was MBI tower.

"If only these people knew what that company is really doing..." Ichigo whispered to himself as he stared on at the city below him as he shoved his hands in his jacket's front pockets, idly thumbing his Soul Reaper combat pass.

Apparently, the orange haired vizard didn't whisper softly enough. "You're right my Ashikabi-chan, if only those weaklings knew what this city is going to be in a few months." A husky, seductive and ferocious voice said from behind him.

The Soul Reaper immediately spun on his heel and skidded to a stop some distance away from where he once stood, pulling the stylized wooden badge out of his pocket while in motion and landing in a low crouch with his badge held in his outstretched right hand.

While the teen's face remained a serious scowl, his thoughts were a rampant mess of questions. "How did she sneak up on me, that shouldn't be possible! I should have sensed her rei...yoku..."

The young Vizard's thoughts were halted when he lifted his gaze to observe who had spoken to him. In short she was beautiful; her long silvery grey hair was tied into a single ponytail while loose bags of hair framed her face. She wore a tight black leather dress whose skirt covered about half the length of her slender thighs while long thigh high black leather boots left little to the imagination. Over her shoulders hung a grey haori with what appeared to be stylized birds were printed on the sides of where the chest should be, its empty sleeves flapped in the chilling late autumn breeze as she turned her head toward the teen slowly.

"Hoh? Nice refleces my Ashikabi-chan, that's good, I would never take a weakling for my special one after all..." The woman said, turning her gaze to the young Reaper.

Ichigo Immediately flinched when his amber brown eyes met her dull grey, anyone else would have seen her eyes and assumed she was exhausted. Ichigo knew better, fighting Kenpachi taught him to gauge the bloodlust in others. This woman's eyes however felt different, she felt so empty so... hollow. What ade his eyes narrow in caution was the long blade in her hand, a Japanese Nodaichi.

So lost in thought was the teen that he missed when the grey haired beauty moved. "Should you be spacing out while an armed threat is right in front of you, A-shi-ka-bi-chan?"

Ichigo's brain seemed to stop functioning as he felt her hot breath against his right cheek and ear with every word she whispered. She was right in front of his crouched form, her head right pressed against his left cheek and her breasts pressed against his muscular chest. The teen would have backed away and blushed wordlessly as he usually did if here were under more relaxed circumstances... or if she wasn't using her free hand to swing her Nodaichi at his torso.

Time slowed down for the young Soul Reaper, the grey haired woman's blades slowed in his view as adrenaline took effect. A small side effect from having been chased, slashed, fought and shot by spiritually enhanced beings made for great training on one's reaction time and reflexes among other passive abilities as Ichigo came to learn as he moved to the side, the blade managing to cut into the side of his cheek. Willing both his legs to jump back to make as distance between himself and the bloodthirsty woman, the teen immediately put his badge to his chest

"But humans will be humans no matter if you're my Ashikabi or not, weak and helpless...so very helpless." The woman said, slowly licking his blood off her blade.

"You know before killing me, my opponent usually tells me their name and reason of trying first." Ichigo said, raising his free hand to wipe off the blood of his cheek but only managing to smear blood all over the side of his head before even more of the crimson fluid flowed out of the wound with drops dribbling off his chin.

"Don't worry my Ashikabi-chan, I won't kill you... just try and survive... Speaking of this little test, is that wooden plate special or are you just showing it off? Oh and my name, I'll tell you that later." She said her stance relaxed and her small smile unwavering.

Ichigo watched as she brought the blade to her face and licked some of his blood once more before swiping the sword to her side, spattering the rest of his blood over the sidewalk. Ichigo just scoffed at that, she was the definition of a beautiful female version of Kenpachi.

_"I can't possibly use Soul Reaper form; it would only look like I fainted... wait... my fullbring!"_ Ichigo realized as he remembered the training he had done with Zangetsu to manifest his abilities without his badge.

Normally, the definition of a fullbringer was a human with spiritual attachments to items in their possessions. These possessions later become a focus for their spiritual abilities, a sort of medium or conduit for power if you will.

_"Only problem being I'm not as tough or fast... I would probably only manage twenty percent of my abilities."_ Ichigo added to the thought as he pocketed his badge and smirked, standing to his full height. _"Still... twenty percent should be more than enough."_

"What's wrong my Ashikabi-chan, did you give up?" The woman asked, her expression changing from that of shock to a curious smile.

"Hell no am I giving up because of a scratch like this, I just want to introduce us." Ichigo said, bringing his hand to his face and forming a claw and gripping his face. "By the way you're mistaken, I'm not exactly human."

"Hmm~? What do you mean my Ashika-" The sword swinging madwoman began, only to freeze in shock as her eyes widened to the transformation occurring before her.

Obsidian black flame quite literally exploded from the teen's hand and covered the rest of his chest and torso. While the all encompassing darkness covered the young Soul Reaper's body,his face was slowly being engulfed by white liquid. His reiyoku spread over what remained of his body and slowly gained a more coherent form, the black flame steadying into a black form-fitting obsidian black shihakushou with what looked to by wisps' of smoke streaming off various points of his body. The cloak seemed to cover every inch of his form; his hands were now covered with what looked to be gloves that were an extension of the phantasmal black cloak as were his legs and feet.

His face however wore a skull like demonic mask of bone, two black vertical lines going from his head all the way over his eyes and down to the end of the fearsome mask. Inside the permanently angry glare of the mask's eyeholes held a pair of very different eyes from his formerly warm amber brown gaze, the teen's sclera now changed to pitch black while his pupils gained a predatory golden glow to them.

**"This who I am."** The young Soul reaper's warped voice echoed, his hollow side tainting his every word it's predatory growling. **"Ichigo Kurosaki, Deputy Soul Reaper." **The teen declared as he slowly reached up, and plunged his right hand into his chest, the black cloak seemingly flowing around his arm.

Karasuba could only watch in shock as the teen began to pull his arm out of his impaled chest at a speed so slow it was agonizing to watch, even being in his presence made his quake in excitement... or fear, she couldn't decide between the two. On one hand, she wanted to fight him to prove to herself that he was a worthy Ashikabi. With his awe inducing display of power no other Ashikabi possessed, they would fight every Sekirei in this game and emerge victorious and covered in the blood of their defeated enemies. However in some deep dark corner of her Tama, her very instincts were telling her to run, to hide and pray that this alpha predator would not have the presence of mind to hunt her down and kill her like she did to so many others throughout her three generations in the Sekirei plan. That mental image alone was terrifying enough but what she saw next excited her to no end. 

The teen pulled what looked to be a black Uchigatana out of his chest; the sword itself was jet black in color and had three protrusions along the blunt edge close to its tip. The tsuba was a curved and jagged manji with a chain at the end of the handle that attached itself to his glove. Unlike to woman's Nodaichi his blade had no Habaki to speak of, thin wisps of smoke escaped from random points of the blade as if it was struggling to keep a solid form.

**"This is my sword... Eclipse, Tensa Zangetsu."** The teens distorted voice said, his black cloak billowing wildly in the cold late-autumn wind.

Since regaining his lost Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo's fullbring drastically changed form. Mainly due to the fact that while fullbring enhanced his physical attributes, his human body would still probably have difficulty wielding his massive Shikai blade. As he flexed his gloved left hand, a thin trail of smoke escaped from the full body cloak, causing the young reaper to frown in irrigation. While most fullbringers rely on an anchor like his badge use to serve as, his anchor was now his very reiatsu, allowing his to manifest a small amount of his power. The problem was that he needed to use both his Soul Reaper and hollow sides so one wouldn't overpower the other and destroy his human body.

Shifting his golden gaze back to the grey haired woman, he slowly raised his blade and swung it in a wide arc, the wind generated from the sheer force of the swing cleared the dust that the explosive transformation kicked up.

Before Karasuba open her mouth to speak, the teen disappeared from sight. Her eyes widened before she quickly brought her Nodaichi up over horizontally her head in a guard, the very next moment she felt the force of another blade slamming into her own. Skidding back front the impact, she quickly brought the long sword back over her shoulder and gripped it with both her hands before springing forwards and toward where the boy stood, unmoved since he struck her blade.

Obsidian black met silvery grey as the blades clashed; Karasuba's blade swung down from over her head and met his blade. Ichigo simply countered the strike with one of his own, deflecting with an upward swing of his Uchigatana before bring the sword diagonally down to her torso. Karasuba stepped back and away from the strike as it came down, charging forward once more to slash at his explosed chest only for her blade to meet an empty space which the boy once stood.

Noticing a shadow above her, the woman jumped to the side as a black blade descended from above and slashed the ground where here head once was, leaving a large gash in the ground where his sword had struck.

Since the fight had begun Ichigo was slightly unnerved by the woman he was facing off against, there were a few reason for that. The main cause was her facial expression, she seemed to constantly wear a face splitting grin that only seemed to grow with every swing of her blade. The other reason was the fact that she had said that she never wanted to kill him and instead only seemed to want to test him, she also called him her Ashikabi...whatever that is.

Suddenly the woman dropped to her right knee, her breathing ragged as blood seemed to rush to her face. Her free hand grasped the front of her tight leather top over where her heart was, as if she were having a heart attack. Her right hand still grasped her sword though the blade itself was pointed downwards and stuck into the ground to support her.

Ichigo weighed his options, on one hand she had attacked him and cut him. On the other she really wasn't trying to injure him too badly, years of experience in fighting to survive taught him to know when someone was trying to him and she definitely wasn't.

_"I can't just leave her like that... I'm going to regret this, I just know it."_ The teen thought as he instead used his free hand to push his hollow mask over his head like a cap and rush to the woman's side.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ichigo asked as he knelt down to face to woman, the chain that attached his sword his arm rattling as he dug his obsidian black sword on the ground next to her own weapon.

"M-Mine..." The woman whispered between a few ragged pants, her voice nearly inaudible as she spoke.

"I can't hear you, what did you sa-?" The teen began, only for the grey haired swordswoman to abandon her blade and tackle him, causing them both to fall to the ground.

"I said you're perfect for me so... you're mine." She said, moving one of her hands to the back of his head and grasping a fistful of his orange hair. Her other hand gently caressed his cheek and jaw with her other hand.

"W-Wait just... a..." Ichigo stuttered as he felt her ragged hot pants of his face and her soft lips grazing his own. Her soft breast pressed up against his muscular chest as her laid on him, her tight black leather mini dress offering no padding for her as she let her thigh slide up between his legs.

Ichigo's mind went numb as he felt her body rubbing up against him, the last thing he noticed was the way her grey her and eyes seemed to shine silver under the light of the moon. For some reason his body refused to protest, the logical side of his mind was urging him to push her off but his instincts egged him on.

The internal debate didn't last long as her voice seemed to shred through his thoughts. "Be mine forever my Ashikabi..." She said before pressing her lips against his.

She tugged his lower jaw down with her hand, pulling his mouth open and wrapped their tongues together. Ichigo never knew when he had closed his eyes to begin with, but he opened his eye to a flash that brought him out of his trance.

Still firmly attached to his face, Karasuba felt a weight lift off her back as ten black pillars of light rose from her back and shatter like glass from the amount of power she gained. Pulling away from the kiss, and laying her hands upon his chest. She noticed the dumbfounded look on the boy's face at the sight of her stylized crow-like wings.

"My name is number four Karasuba and this is my pledge, exterminate the sworn enemies of my Ashikabi!" The now named Karasuba declared before collapsing to his chest, collapsed from exhaustion of having so much energy run through her body.

Ichigo sat motionless for awhile, his brain refusing to work like it should from the sheer shock of what had just happened to him. Raising a rand to his face, he noticed his manifestation was gone most likely dissipated when he lost his concentration. Sighing as he stood up, gently laying Karasuba down before sheathing her blade and picking up his own...blade?

The young Soul Reaper looked at the perfectly solid black sword in shock to find his blade was still around after his Fullbring manifestation had already dissipated. Now that he thought about it, the moment they had kissed he did feel a slight change in the flow in his normally unstable reiatsu, could this have affected his blade as well?

Sighing, the teen contacted his inner world and asked Old man Zangetsu and allowed the sword to retreat back into his soul. Sliding the sword on his back before carrying the unconscious Karasuba in his arms princess-style, Ichigo huffed slowly and watched his hot breath turn to steam in the cold air. before walking back to Izumo inn.

_***Meanwhile, back at the inn***_

"Miya-san, Miya-san... whats our new neighbor like huh?" A high pitched and excited Uzuma asked as the other tenants were busy helping set the table.

Since she had been told from Miya that a new guy had moved in, she hadn't been able to hold still all evening. The brown haired Sekirei wore her usual pink belly top with a star printed near her chest and blue jeans. Her long brown hair was tied in her usual sideways ponytail.

"I'm sure he's a nice guy Uzume." Kagari sighed, home early from his job for once to greet the new guy. Kagari wore his usual dress shirt and pants, his silver hair worn messily as usual.

Miya set the steaming hot dishes of food down on the Chibudai table, her long hair tied back from cooking. Before she could say anything, a knock could be heard from the front of the house.

"That's him, he went for a walk. Coming!" Miya said as she quickly set the plate down and rushed to the door flanked by Uzume and Kagari, to be greeted by a most unexpected sight.

At the front door stood the new tenant, ichigo Kurosaki. In his arms he held Karasuba, a member of the disciplinary squad for all three generations. Snow gathered on the young man's head as he smiled awkwardly at his landlady and fellow tenants at the inn.

"Uh...hello everyone...I'm the new tenant, Ichigo Kurosaki." The teen said, watching the shocked look of all the inn's residents.

_***Explanations***_

I felt a need to do this since I used some Japanese names and terms in this chapter along with ichigo's powers.

His fullbring- Ichigo should have his Fullbring slightly changed due to his power increasing so there we have it.

Ichigo's sword- I made Ichigo's sword an Ichigatana, since the wiki explained that his Daito had been extended since he regained his powers to that of his shikai so there we have it.

Tsuba- This the Japanese name for a blade guard.

Habaki- Blade collar, Ichigo's sword doesn't have one for some reason. Don't ask me why.

Nodaichi- Japanese greatsword, normally used on horseback... Karasuba is a special case.

Ichigatana- Japanese longsword, longer than a Daito, shorter than a Nodaichi.


	4. Chapter 4: Moonless Dawn

Hey guys, just back from Hokkaido with a bunch of milk, cheese, butter and chocolate. Let me tell you, dairy products from Hokkaido are the best. Anyways, let's move on to the next chapter of The Hollow Strawberry and The Black Wagtail. I know this is a week late but I was busy, I know it's a boring excuse but it's the one you're getting. I'd like to thank my new BETA reader The Benevolent Scriber, go check him out after you read the story...do it, or I will find you.

_**Chapter 4: Moonless Dawn**_

Karasuba awoke to unfamiliar surroundings, instead of the usual sterile white ceiling of her room in MBI Headquarters she found faded cream colored ceiling. The bed she laid comfortably in was a traditional Japanese futon with its covers pulled up to her chest, the rest of the room was pretty plain.

At the size of six tatami, the room was that of a standard Japanese bedroom with a closet placed next to the wooden door that led outside the room. The only source of light was the dim blue moonlight that shone through the glass window on the other side of the small room. Her silvery grey hair reflected the dim moonlight as she sat up from the bed, the cold that travelled up her arm alerted her that her haori and her Nodaichi had beenRemoved from her person. Looking to the side of the bed, she found the grey haori she had grown so fond of folded neatly by her side while her blade remained confiscated.

Huffing in annoyance, she pulled her haori over her shoulders and crossed her arms to think back on how she had ended up here. She remembered sparks flying as her blade struck another blade, this one midnight back. A skull like mask of bone with a set jagged teeth and a pair of pair of black vertical lines faced her, the owner's golden yellow irises glaring into her own slate grey.

The next thing she felt was the pain, the searing heat that she had lacked so long burned her core like a hot coal being thrown into cold water. For so long she had never even able to feel anything from her Ashikabi, none of the waves of heat she had known the other Sekirei had talked about feeling, only cold emptiness. She had gone so far as to consider taking an Ashikabi that MBI had selected for her just to fill the void that her supposed destined one had left behind. When she felt the sudden rush of heat, she searched everywhere for the source of the heat to find her precious one.

Remembering the kiss they shared prompted her to raise her right hand to her face and touch her lips_. _Releasing a long sigh of relief as she reminded herself that she had found him, that she had finally found her destined one. _"Now finally...finally I have my Ashikabi, all mine and nobody can take him from me..."_

Her lips curved upwards into a soft and gentle smile while she closed her grey eyes, her hand lowering to her chest to clutch the front of her leather top. Her smile widened to a maniacal size as she remembered her Ashikabi and the clash of their blades. Her thoughts lingered on the after-battle kiss and the rush of power, she loved the way her Ashikabi kissed her lips, relished in power it filled her Tama with.

"I want more..." Karasuba whispered, her blood thirsty grin never leaving her face as she pushed herself upright and opened to wooden door of the room.

Careful not to make any noise, the Sekirei made her way past the series of doors that gave away the fact that this building was an apartment or Inn of some sort. Her sock covered feet barely making any noise as she walked on the tatami mat cover floor as her sharp grey eyes scanned the dark stairway.

"Why does this all seem so familiar..." The Sekirei mumbled, the traditional furniture and the color scheme reminder her strongly of the place No.1 owns.

The stairway opened up into a hallway, on one side it was left open to the backyard and the other side was a set of paper walls that undoubtedly led to the living room much like other traditional Japanese houses. Hearing the muffled sounds of speaking coming from the door ahead of her, she slowed her footsteps until reaching the sliding door of the room ever so slightly to peek inside.

From where she kneeled, Karasuba found her orange haired Ashikabi, Ichigo, sitting cross legged before a chabudai table. On the table laid the familiar form of her Nodaichi, his back was turned towards the door she was peeking from. He seemed to be facing someone on the other side of the table though whoever he spoke to was hidden from her view, the small gap that she peeked from not being wide enough to view the other occupants of the room.

"Kurosaki-san, while I welcome any guests my tenants bring... why is your companion is such a state?" Miya asked, straining to keep any hostility out of her voice as she spoke of the Sekirei her newest tenant had most likely winged.

"Call me Ichigo Asama-san, I've never been one for formalities." Ichigo said, giving the lavender haired woman a dismissive wave of his hand.

Karasuba's eyes widened in shock, shifting her head to the side to see that it was no trick. Miya Asama, Sekirei Number One was in fact living with her Ashikabi. The Sekirei clutched at her chest, trying to calm her wildly thumping heart as she watched the interaction between the two. In her mind however thought ran wild, unable to stem the tidal wave of emotions washing over her.

_"Had he winged Number One already? If he already winged her..."_ She thought, fearing the worst for her future with her precious destined one. "_No...no he can't reject me he's my Ashikabi, mine!"_

"Alright, however you have to call me Miya it is only fair." Miya said, earning a nod from her tenant as he scratched the back of his head and looked to the table. Clearly he wasn't used to other people simply letting him to refer to them informally, in fact every single captain save for Kenpachi hated his guts for calling them by their first names.

"Well before I get to that Miya, you don't have to hide anymore. I know you aren't human." Ichigo said, making the both the Sekirei flinch in shock.

Releasing a sigh that he had been holding in for some time now, Ichigo shook his head slowly. _"Guess I should come clean now."_ He thought, bringing his hand to his chest.

Wisps of black smoke spilled forth from the young man's hand, enveloping his body like a shroud of pure darkness. While the darkness covered his body, a white mask of bone slowly formed over his face. The smoke settled into his usual form fitting cloak that seemed to bellow in spite of the fact that no wind was present. The mask on his face solidified to reveal a full set of jagged, blade like teeth and a set of eyes that held a permanently angry glare as his sclera became tainted with hollow energy. Shoving his hand into the dark folds of his cloak, Ichigo slowly pulled his oddly shaped Ichigatana and laid the black sword on the table.

**"I'm a Soul Reaper, my kind ferry lost souls to the afterlife and guard them against evil spirits."** Ichigo said, the chain attached the hilt of the blade seemed to rattle on its own. **"Oh yeah, this is Zangetsu."** Ichigo said, the rattling stopping after he introduced the sword.

Miya simply shook her head, it was no wonder Karasuba was attracted to the boy. The seemed to bleed energy from his form, thin wisps of smoke flowed away from him even as he sat still.

From where she sat Karasuba felt shivers run down her spine as she remembered that form from when he had winged her, the way he swung his sword and the force behind each blow made her tama heat up the more she thought of it. Forcing those memories to the corner of her mind, she crept closer to the door to hear the rest of her Ashikabi's explanation.

**"Recently the Court of Pure Souls, the government of the rest of the Soul Reapers had been detecting individuals with high level reiatsu spikes here. Being that they're dead, they can't simply intervene with the living... so they sent me."** Ichigo continued, oddly enough Miya seemed unaffected by his explanation.

"So... you're not dead then?" Miya asked, raising her hand to her chin as she thought about what he had just said.

Rubbing the back of his neck with his black gloved hand, Ichigo let loose an awkward laugh. **"My dad is a full Reaper, I'm a half-breed... sorry for not telling you any earlier." **Ichigo's warped voice said, sounding more horrifying than apologetic.

"Well, since there's no point in hiding it you should know that everyone in this inn other than you is what's called a Sekirei. We are beings awoken by the director of MBI to participate in a game, one hundred and eight Sekirei are released to find their destined ones before doing battle." Miya explained, Ichigo's masked face tilted down as he processed her words.

**"Do battle against what?"** Ichigo's warped voice suddenly asked, his golden gaze meeting her soft brown.

"Each other, of course." Miya said, earning first a look of shock from the teen seated in from of her. Then shock became a look of pure rage behind his mask, his face tilted down as he glared at the table.

**"So this bastard just pits innocent women against each other?"** Ichigo asked, a dark feral growl backing each word. **"I won't stand for it, that damned director needs to die."** The teen grumbled, his hand tightening its grip on Tensa Zangetsu as more wisps of black smoke seemed to escape from his cloak.

"I would have already done so if I could, Ichigo this man has more power than you think. If you were to attack him he would kill anyone close to you, he isn't afraid to hurt innocent people to keep this game going." Miya said, calming the angry Reaper down.

Thinking back to the Sekirei he had winged, Ichigo raised a gloved hand to his face and pressed it against his mask. Pushing the mask over his head like a cap, the young reaper let loose a sigh he had been holding in as he hunched his back to plant his cheek on the wooden table.

"I thought I had enough of this crap after we won the winter war..." The muttered, his voice a mix of annoyance and weary frustration.

Miya raised an eyebrow at the mention of a war, deciding against it having questioned the teen any more that she had already for tonight. "Well then Ichigo, I believe it's about time we retire for the night. It's getting quite late and I'm sure you and your guest have much to discuss tomorrow." The lavender haired Sekirei said, rising to her feet and walked toward the exit.

Karasuba stood up from her hiding spot and dashed up the stairs, careful to make as little noise as possible. Rushing down the hallway into the safety of her Ashikabi's room and quickly shutting the door behind her pressing her back against the door and sliding down its wooden surface until she sat on the floor.

Pulling herself to the bed that her Ashikabi had previously laid her on, the Sekirei pulled the covers over her chest as she heard the muffled footsteps of her Ashikabi approaching from outside. The door opened with a soft click and a slow creak as the Vizard stepped into his room.

"I forgot to ask Miya for an extra futon, now what?" Ichigo sighed in frustration, reaching behind his head and ruffling his hair.

Ichigo reached up and touched her forehead, checking her temperature. "Damn she must have been outside for a long time looking for me... Now I feel like a jackass, great." Ichigo mumbled to himself.

Staring down at the Sekirei, the Vizard felt a sudden rush of guilt hit him. Since he had winged her, did that mean he dragged her into this fight? If he hadn't winged her, would she never have been included into the game MBI organized?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Ichigo sat down on the floor and leaned back on his bed. Crossing his arms, the Vizard let his worries drift away for the moment as he descended into the world of sleep.

_***Meanwhile***_

While things on the outside calmed down the situation inside Ichigo's inner world was far from calm. The hanging garden between the two ruined cities shook with the force of an earthquake, forcing Ichigo's resident sword spirit to leap from his flagpole to the ground below. The spirit turned his attention to the garden he tended to, a small black plant that had sprouted but a mere two hours ago being the cause.

Zangetsu approached the plant cautiously, his calm stride unbroken by the earthquake that shook Ichigo's inner world. Slowly but surely, the small plant grew to an enormous Redwood tree. The tree took residence at the very center of Ichigo's inner world, towering over all the other plants and forcefully pushing them aside. Despite the tree the plant mimicked its bark was not red, instead it was as black as night. The branches of the tree bore no leaves, instead hundreds of Nodaichi hung from its dead branches. Thin red thread connected to the hilt of each blade attached the multitude of blades to the black tree.

**"Ichigo, just what have you gotten yourself into this time?" **The sword spirit sighed, turning away from the tree and leaping atop his flagpole once more**. "Watch yourself around her Ichigo, she isn't as innocent as she may seem"**

_***Outside***_

**"**You could sleep up here you know." Karasuba suddenly piped up, shocking the teen to his feet.

Instead of attacking as he expected, Karasuba merely sat up and stared at him with a smirk on her face. "Should have expected you to be awake, Karasuba right?" Ichigo sighed, relaxing himself and taking several beep breaths.

_"So he's ready for attacks from behind, good to know." _Karasuba mentally noted, smirking and shaking her head slowly.

To his credit Ichigo calmly sat on the bed and crossed his arms, eyes looking ahead as he tipped his head in though. "Why couldn't I feel her? Come to think of it why couldn't I feel her sneaking up on me earlier too? Maybe it's because she uses my own Reiyoku so I can't detect her at close range." Ichigo wondered, barely noticing his Sekirei crawl up on all fours and pressed her lips on his cheek.

"Wai-What are you doing!?" Ichigo stammered, covering his cheek with the palm of his right hand and attempted to crawl away.

In crawling away however only succeeded in making him fall off the bed and land back first on the floor. Karasuba could only chortle as he lay groaning on the floor.

"Just trying to get familiar with my dear Ashikabi." Karasuba mocked as Ichigo only groaned from where he lay on the floor.

_***Meanwhile***_

In the top floor glass monolith that was MBI headquarters, a lone figure sat on a large armchair in a pitch black room. Said man was clad completely in white, everything from his hair to his shoes was white save for the black tie that he wore around his neck.

His rectangular glasses reflected the only source of light in the room, a large computer monitor. On the monitor displayed various images of a certain orange haired young man that had recently become rather interesting to him and the game as a whole.

"First you pop out of nowhere and wing Karasuba-chan here, now I can barely find anything more than your school records. You'll make a marvelous player in this game Kurosaki-kun, so let's play...aha...ahahah...Ahhahah!" The man laughed to himself as he kicked his wheeled armchair away from the computer monitor, leaving the computer to loop back the few images of the orange haired he had managed to obtain.


	5. Searching for the Moon

Alright here is another chapter; I was wondering if anyone would like me to start a Punch Out/ Sekirei crossover after I finish with this one? Anyways Chapter 5 of The Black Sekirei and the Hollow Strawberry, special thanks to my Beta The Benevolent Scriber.

_**Searching for the Moon**_

A single ray of sunlight penetrated a gap between the curtains of the room of a certain teenaged strawberry; the glistened across the face of the grey haired occupant of his bed. Karasuba's long grey hair splayed about messily over the bed, some strands from the grey bags hanging over her eyes as she squeezed her eyes shut before slowly opening them.

Groaning in protest at being awoken from her slumber, the Sekirei shifted herself away from the offending glare of the light. She tried moving, only to be blocked by something warm. Pausing to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the room, keeping as still as possible.

Karasuba was greeted by the sight of her Ashikabi's bright orange hair, her face pressed up against the side of his head as she lay beside the substitute Reaper. The Sekirei yawned groggily as she wrapped both of her slender arms around the young Reaper's neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. His head rested on her chest as she leaned in to press her face into his hair.

"Mine..." She mumbled, closing her eyes once more.

_***Some time later***_

The muffled sound of knocking forced a sleeping Ichigo out of his comfortable rest, the strawberry could feel strange warmth wrapped around his body and the side of his head. Ichigo was too tired to wonder as to what he was pressed up against or why, all that he did know was that whatever it was it felt nice. Rolling on his side, the Vizard pressed his head up against whatever was closest to him to block out the knocking and get some sleep.

He caught the scent of iron and rust, the soft surface he was pressing against smelled strongly of it. For some reason it smelled so familiar, it reminded him of the many fights and battles he had been through. Only this time it was different, he didn't see the streets or skies of Karakura or even the barren white desert of Hueco Mundo. He was on a small island; its surface reminded him of the underground training grounds that Kisuke had made to get his Shikai.

_"Where the hell am I? I can't even feel my own Reiatsu, it's like this place is draining my powers."_ Ichigo mumbled.

The first sight of life that greeted him was ironically the end of life, bodies to be more specific. Scattered around the apparent battlefield were scattered weapons and shell casings from various firearms littered the ground. Some were still held in the grasp of the dead or dying that lay bleeding around him, most of them were killed from being cut diagonally or horizontally along the torso. Tearing his gaze away from the scenes of death, Ichigo saw a figure he came to recognize very well.

Karasuba stood just a few feet away, her back faced toward him and her long silvery grey hair flowing with the wind. The Sekirei had her blade drawn; crimson blood flowed down the length of her distinctive Nodaichi. She suddenly swiped the sword through the air, the rest of the blood splattering off her blade across the earth.

Suddenly the knocking returned, it came from every direction at once. Ichigo whipped his head around; the world seemed to dissolve around him. The bodies melted away as did the weapons, ground and sky seemed to tear apart and fade into darkness. Only Karasuba remained after a few moments, her back still turned toward him as she stood in the same stance she held earlier. He wanted to say something, ask her what she had done and why but Ichigo knew it was pointless. This was a memory, a place he had no power over and no sway over.

So he simply stood there, staring at the back of his supposed Sekirei as they shared a long moment of silence in this black void. Suddenly her attention turned to him, the moment her eye peeked over her shoulder he could feel something wrong. For one thing her skin was bleached white; her sclera was pitch black while her pupils burned a silvery grey. This "Karasuba" was showing all the hallmarks of hollowfication.

The moment his eyes met hers he felt as if as massive Anaconda snake was coiling around his body, he couldn't move or speak... he could only watch as the woman walked toward him. The tapping of her boots echoed across this infinite black space as she approached the orange haired teen.

The only thing he could see was Karasuba herself, she seemed to glow softly like a full moon. His eyes glued to the hypnotic sway of her hips and the small smirk she kept on her face.

Ichigo's eyes suddenly widened in realization, this pressure he felt all around him was like when Rukia used Bakudo number one on him for the first time. _"If this is her inner world then I can't break out or I'll hurt her I'll just have to ride this out, but why is this place so... hollow."_

When he broke away from his thoughts Karasuba was already upon him, her face only inches away from his own. He felt her hot breath against his skin just like when they kissed the first time, her slate grey eyes staring directly into his own amber ones.

**"Hello Ichigo, happy to see me?"** The hollow Karasuba said, her voice as warped as his when he hollowfied.

"Wh-Who are you." Ichigo managed, struggling to get the words out of his mouth as the pressure around him built up.

**"Don't you know? I have no name, my Ashikabi-chan."** She whispered, bringing her face closer to his.

She slowly reached a hand to his face and cupped his cheek; her touch was cold yet pleasant. Her lips brushed against his before she finally pushed their lips together, she forced her tongue into Ichigo's mouth happily explored it. The two remained lip locked for a few seconds before the sounds of knocking and the muffled sounds of speaking echoed around her inner world.

Karasuba pulled away, a heavy sigh of relief escaping her lips as she pulled her tongue back into her mouth. "Looks like Number one's here, I'll see you soon Ichigo." She whispered.

The knocking continued, followed by the sound of the sound of someone speaking from outside. "Ichigo, breakfast is ready!" Ichigo's eyes shot wide open as he was suddenly pulled out of Karasuba's inner world.

"Damn, I forgot to set my alarm! I hope Miya isn't ma-" Ichigo tried pushing off his bed, only to jerk bad as he felt a vice-like grip pull his neck back to whatever he was laying against earlier, _"Oh, that was what felt so nice."_ Ichigo's mind said, the rest of his brain struggled to reboot.

"I'm coming in!" Miya called, pushing the door open slowly and walking in on the sight of a sleeping Karasuba clinging to her frantic and panicking Ashikabi, still trying to push himself away from his Sekirei's vice like hold on his neck.

Ichigo paused and turned his head toward his landlady, sweat forming at his forehead. "Uh... hey Miya-san, I can explain..." Ichigo tried to explain as a cloud of purple haze formed around the lavender haired landlady's head, a smile never leaving her face as the cloud of pure death cast a shadow over her eyes. The landlady pulled a wooden ladle that she was still holding from her time cooking in the kitchen, Ichigo could hear her hands clenching as the Sekirei approached him slowly.

"Ara, ara... What are you saying Ichigo-chan? I can't seem to hear you." Miya practically sang, slowly approaching the substitute Soul Reaper with her wooden ladle tapping against her open palm. A demonic Hannya mask forming behind her as she approached.

_***Later***_

Karasuba and Ichigo sat side by side at the dining table, the latter rubbing a sore spot on his head while facing the other two tenants of the inn in front of them with Miya sat at the head of the table. The landlady's soft smile never fading, luckily the Hannya mask and her purple cloud had receded. Breakfast was laid out for everyone, even for Karasuba surprisingly.

Speaking of Karasuba, the psychotic woman was simply staring at the two other Sekirei in front of her with a small smile. The young man that Miya had introduced as Homura simply glared at the grey haired Sekirei while Uzume visibly shivered under Karasuba's withering gaze. It didn't help that she had her sword resting on her lap, Ichigo's decision to return the blade seemed a little questionable.

The three continued to stare at one another for a full minute, the stare-off only being broken by Ichigo clearing his throat. "Karasuba, don't glare at my neighbors." Ichigo said, making his Sekirei sigh in defeat and give the two Sekirei in front of her one final a sideway smirk at the two.

As the group silently ate, the tension in the room built up to the point that it could be cut with a knife. By the time the group had finished eating; Karasuba and Miya were openly staring... or more so glaring at one another. That is until the resident Soul Reaper decided to try and break up the stare off before things got violent.

"You two uh... know each other?" The substitute asked, both of the women barely paid him any heed. They simply kept staring at each other until Karasuba finally processed his words.

"Oh yes Ichigo, you could say were pretty much fri-." Karasuba said, never taking her eyes off the landlady.

"We are not friends, Karasuba." Miya interjected, her voice suddenly turning cold as she sent the grey haired woman a sharp glare for a moment before closing her eyes.

Miya took a deep breath, relaxing her tense muscles upon releasing the breath. "Ichigo, I'm sorry for not introducing you earlier but these two are your neighbors, Kagari and Uzume." She said, gesturing to the other two seated at the table.

Kagari, the feminine looking young man with a head of messy head of silvery grey hair similar to Karasuba's own grey hair. He wore a simple white dress shirt and black dress pants; his overall appearance was that of a handsome playboy. He gave Ichigo a strained smile and nod, stealing glances at the orange headed teen's companion.

_"He's got his guard raised huh? Not surprising given what I've seen of Karasuba, at least he isn't too quick to judge me."_ Ichigo mentally sighed, giving Kagari a small wave and nod.

"Hi I'm Uzume, I hope we get along!" The cheery voice of the woman seated beside Kagari greeted, throwing her hands up in the air.

Almost immediately Ichigo's thoughts travelled to his old friend Orihime, Uzume's attitude seemed to reflect his long-time friend's own playful outlook. She had long, messy dark brown hair done up in a ponytail on the left side of her head. The young woman had an extremely...developed figure; the tight violet belly top with a yellow star printed over the chest exposed her midriff, on her lower body she wore a pair of tight blue Capri jeans.

_"What's up with her and wearing tight clothes?"_ Ichigo wondered, giving Uzume a weak attempt at a smile and wave. Despite the smile being completely forced when paired with the scowl on his face, the Sekirei simply grinned playfully at him.

Almost immediately Karasuba whipped her head around to glare at Uzume, it wasn't her usual calculating gaze. The silvery-grey haired Sekirei looked ready to tear the poor brunette apart with her bare hands while her psychotic grin widening to the point it looked like her face was dangerously close to splitting apart. Her pupils narrowed while her eyes widened, adrenaline kicked in and she made her move.

In an instant, Karasuba pulled her Nodaichi resting on her lap up with her left hand, her right hand flying to the handle of the blade. Before she could bring the long sword completely out of the sheath, a strong hand clasped over hers and stopped her from bringing the blade to bear on Uzume's throat. Another arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, stopping her from pulling forwards like she usually did when striking.

Anticipating where the strike Kagari pulled Uzume back, making the Sekirei fall on her back. Miya on the other hand jumped from her seat at the head of the table to a ready stance, her gaze firmly locked on the Ashikabi-Sekirei pair.

"Let me go Ichigo, she needs to die." Karasuba mumbled, her tone a mix of excitement and anger. Ichigo pumped a little reiatsu into the air, adding a little pressure make sure she was held down.

"No killing my neighbors Karasuba." Ichigo deadpanned, releasing his hold over her waist and arm and letting the reiatsu he had just released to disperse.

As Ichigo released his grip Karasuba slid her Nodaichi back into its sheath. "Well this has been fun but I need to go to work and...talk to my boss."

"Let me walk you out at least..." Ichigo mumbled, getting up from his set and walking beside his Sekirei. "I'll be back in a bit Miya-san." The teen informed, raising an eyebrow when his landlady never so much as looked at him.

Shrugging, Ichigo left the room with his grey haired Sekirei in tow, sliding the door to the dining room closed as he left. As the thumping of the pair's footsteps faded down the halls of the inn, Uzume turned to her landlady with her arms crossed a scowl on her face.

"Even if you don't like her, you could at least say bye Miya." Uzume said, turning her head to look back at the door.

"You may not have any personal issues with Karasuba, Uzume. I however know her for what she really is." Miya said, closing her eyes and lifting a steaming cup of tea to her lips.

_***With Ichigo***_

A part of Ichigo wanted to open his mouth and ask Karasuba why was she so agitated around Miya, what was the battlefield in her memory all about and most of all the hollow forming inside her. For some reason whenever he wanted to say something, his words seemed to die in his throat. With speech out of the question, Ichigo merely shoved his hands in his pockets and kept following behind Karasuba, a deep scowl on his face and a slight sigh escaping his lips.

When the pair stepped out of the front door, Ichigo finally decided to pipe up. "Hey Karasuba, how do we meet again? In case you need help in a fight against another Sekirei." Ichigo said, reaching up and ruffling his hair.

"We should spar sometime... I need to get to know you better." Ichigo said, prompting Karasuba to whip her head over her shoulder and stare at her Ashikabi with wide eyes.

A primal grin slowly found its way to Karasuba's face, the predatory look she was giving him having an eerie resemblance to the former captain Gin Ichimaru. "I think I would like that, see you soon."

"Don't worry berry boy, we're connected, no matter how far away we are from each other." Karasuba said her back still facing him, pausing before resuming her stride down the street.

_***A short Time Later***_

Ichigo closed the front door behind him and pressed the palm of his right hand to his face, his thoughts buzzing about his head. "What can I do? Is that hollow my fault, how do I fix this? Why did she kill those people?"

The teen's thoughts were interrupted by his ringing phone; Ichigo pulled the device out of his pocket and checked to contact only to find it blocked. He raised an eyebrow and pressed the answer button, it brought up an image of a man with wild grey hair and a completely white suit and black tie. He wore square glasses that reflected the light of the computer screen he was facing, hiding his eyes from view

The moment the man saw the teen's puzzled look; he threw his hands up and released a hysterical laugh. "I see you are confused Ichigo Kurosaki-kun! You must be quite the young man to attract a Sekirei as powerful as Karasuba, I thought she would never find her destined one."

Ichigo's puzzled look turned to one of shock, then a look of pure hatred on his face. "So you're Minaka Hiroto." Ichigo concluded, his grip on his phone tightening.

"Why yes young man, you and Karasuba have a unique opportunity to fight your way to the heavens." The madman ranted, his head thrown up in joy. "I must say, having you here makes things much more...interesting."

At this point his phone was creaking from the pressure he applied to its plastic frame; to his credit he kept his temper in check for now. One thing he learned was to be patient, if he was dealing with another Ginjo he wanted to be sure of Minaka's intentions first.

"So, what if I don't want any part of your sick game?" Ichigo threatened, his temper boiling up.

"Well, I'll just have to hit the kill switch on her won't I?" Minaka taunted, lowering his head and giving the new Ashikabi a ghost of a smile.

Ichigo's eyes widened, of course he would have precautions in case of anything like this. "The only way to turn this kill switch off is to finish my little game isn't it?" Minaka taunted, a chuckle escaping him.

"When I find you Minaka, I'm going to-" The screen suddenly cracked, finally giving in to Ichigo's strength and crumpling under the stress and throwing the screen into static.

From behind the Director of MBI, a woman with similarly colored grey hair walked up to his side. "You sure it was smart to do that? We don't know much about him or what he can do." She warned.

"I know but doesn't this make it far more interesting?" Minaka laughed, His eyes still on the now static-filled computer screen.


	6. Chapter 6: The moon above the heavens

Alright before I start this chapter, I'd like to apologize for the four month long hiatus. I had some issues with college and crap so... you get the point. Anyways, I'm working on the future of this plot since the Sekirei manga isn't yet complete and Bleach has all that crap with the Quincy.

_**Chapter 6: The Moon above the Heavens**_

"Thanks for the meal Miya..." Ichigo said, gathering his dirty dishes off the table as he got up.

When it came to home cooking Miya's was by far the best Ichigo ever had the opportunity to taste, even better than his sister Yuzu's cooking in some ways. Since Karasuba left, the mood had lightened up somewhat with Uzume and even Homura deciding to talk to him and ask him questions, even though some of Uzume's questions were far more... personal than he would have liked.

While his two neighbors had loosened up since his Sekirei left his landlady was another story, while she had smiled and laughed and even scolded Uzume at the table she always kept him at the corner of her eye. He didn't mind however; three years of being stared down by his enemies made for great practice in knowing if someone was thinking of killing him or simply gauging him. Unfortunately with Miya's stare it seemed like she was doing both at once, all while maintaining that gentle smile of hers.

Setting his plates in the sink and releasing a sigh, Ichigo was so lost in thought that he barely noticed Homura walk beside him and placed his own plates down next to the Reaper's own. Ichigo's amber met Homura's dull brown, a full minute of awkward silence passed with the two merely staring at each other.

Ichigo broke the silence first. "Your power is unstable, you know that right? If you don't find a way to fix it..." Ichigo said, raising his hand and rubbing the back of his head nervously.

The Sekirei stiffened as the Reaper's words hit a nerve "I know that, but I'm not going let someone decide my fate!" Homura said behind clenched teeth, his tone turning as hard and cold as granite.

The Sekirei turned on his heel and threw the kitchen door open, storming out of the dining room and passing by Miya at the corridor.

"What do you mean by that!?" Ichigo shouted back, poking his head out of the room's door just in time to see Homura disappear up the stairs and Miya turn and stare at him.

"I don't even know... was it something I said?" Ichigo shrugged, leaving Miya shaking her head and releasing an exasperated sigh.

_***Meanwhile***_

The dimly lit interior of Hiroto Minaka's private office was in stark contrast of the pristine bright exterior of MBI headquarters. The only source of light in the room was the multitude of large computer monitors that the director of MBI himself analyzed under the moonlight that shone through the large skylight above him. The director's eyes were hidden from view by the light reflecting off his large rectangular glasses as usual and his face a holding a bored frown.

The sound of clicking heels echoed through the silent office, Minaka immediately perked up as he noticed the footsteps getting closer. The owner of the heels stepped into the light, the unmistakable look of the form fitting leather top and miniskirt and the grey haori that lay draped over her shoulders made up the first generation Sekirei Disciplinary squad's uniform. One never needed to know of the uniform to recognize Karasuba, the long silvery grey hair, dull grey eyes, constant smirk and the Nodaichi that hung loosely in her grip gave her away immediately.

"Ah, Karasuba-chan you're back!" Minaka cheered with a grin full of childish glee on his face, pushing his legs out and kicking his chair away from his desk.

"So, how was meeting your Ashikabi for the first time? I talked to him of course, but he shut me down pretty quick!" He said, his chair now spinning in place.

Karasuba merely huffed and crossed her arms, cradling her sheathed sword like it was a precious child. "I can't be surprised by you knowing all this should I Director?" The Sekirei sighed, her lips pressed into a grim line.

"So, when does he move in with us?" Minaka asked, his grin never fading until he saw the expression on Karasuba's face at the mention of her Ashikabi moving in.

"You already know he lives with number one; don't play games with me Director." Karasuba growled, turning on her heel and walking back into the shadows and out of the room.

_***Later***_

Karasuba lay motionless on her bed; as far as MBI went her room was quite spartan. A queen sized bed, a wardrobe and a sword stand that her Nodaichi rested on with its curve facing upwards. While her bed was been comfortable, she hadn't managed to get any sleep the entire three hours that she lay there. It felt strange to sleep alone now that she had an Ashikabi, holding Ichigo made her feel warm and secure. Now that she was alone on a bed it felt so cold and empty, Karasuba raised her hand over her heart. Ever since she had left Ichigo's side dull waves of pain hit her heart like waves washing over a beach, the more time passed the more the often she thought of her orange haired Ashikabi.

"So this is what it feels like to miss someone." Karasuba said under her breath, rolling on her side to stare at her sword.

Immediately Karasuba's jolted awake and leapt off the side of her bed, more than two decades of battle experience alerting her to danger. The bed she laid but a moment ago now split clean in half, she would have been bisected should she have still been laying there. The glint of metal brought her attention to the would-be attacker, only to see a near exact copy of her standing before what once was her bed the only problem was all of the colors on her clone seemed to have been bleached.

The Mad Dog of MBI stared on at her pale doppelganger as she relaxed her stance and let her Nodaichi hang loosely in her grip before sheathing the blade once more. Karasuba recognized the way in which the copy sheathed and held the blade; it was her own style. This "Karasuba" wore the same first generation Sekirei disciplinary squad uniform that she wore; only the colors were reversed. While the doppelganger's grey haori remained the same color, her leather top was white rather than black. Her skin was stark white while her sclera were black while her pupils were silvery grey, the blade of her Nodaichi a pure obsidian black and the handle a dull grey.

The copy let loose a frustrated sigh and eyed the original Karasuba, holding a small smirk on her face. **"Why couldn't you hold still and die? If I had my way from the beginning we'd have Ichigo all to ourselves." **The hollow mocked, her warped voice adding a feral growl behind each word.

"Who the hell are you?" Karasuba seethed, standing up and pulling her hand to her Nodaichi's handle.

Karasuba pushed forwards almost too fast for the eye to see, her doppelganger on the other hand was unfazed. The bleached copy of Karasuba lazily redrew her sword from its sheath, just in time to block the strike from her original and send a shower of sparks raining to the ground from the clash of steel. The Hollow let the force from Karasuba's swing carry her as she jumped backwards, on her face was the same bloodthirsty smile that Karasuba normally wore in a fight. The Hollow spun on its heel and jumped forwards, raising her sword over her shoulder and bringing it down on Karasuba.

Karasuba parried the downwards slash with one of her own, sparks flying as her silvery grey blade deflected the obsidian black of her bleached clone's. She swung diagonally

"**You should know who I am; I'm the one you've been neglecting for so long. The one that led you to Ichigo, the one that should be with him is me not you!"** The Hollow growled, her voice dripping with venom and her facial expression turning from one of amusement to a scowl pure hatred.

Karasuba's eyes widened in shock as she realized what the hollow was saying, the hollow grinned from ear to ear when she saw her original's expression. "**You get it now don't you...I'm your instinct, the thing that drives you in your battles all this time. You've always used me and relied on me, yet when I find our Ashikabi only you get to be with him."**

Karasuba grit her teeth and focused all her strength to her arms, managing to throw the hollow off her and into the wall on the opposite end of her room. Despite that the Hollow seemed unfazed, in fact she was smiling as she got up and wiped some blood that leaked from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You're doing this..." Karasuba began, only to be silenced by her hollow's laugh.

**"Ah-hah...Hah-HA-HA-HA!"** She cackled, holding her midsection with her free hand trying to steady herself**. "I guess you finally get it, after I devour you I get to be Karasuba! I get to fight for what I want instead of blindly following MBI around!" **

**"Oh...with you gone that also means our dear Ashikabi will be all mine." **The Hollow added, a smirk gracing her features.

"You aren't taking him from me!" Karasuba shouted, charging at the Hollow and swiping her sword diagonally at her bleached clone that dare threaten to take her Ashikabi away from her.

The Hollow leaped to the side, the blade missing her face by mere millimeters but managing to cut a deep gash in the wooden dresser in the way. In response Karasuba whipped her leg out in a high kick, not a move usually performed by a woman in a tight leather top and a mid-thigh length miniskirt. The move caught the Hollow by surprise, the blow managing to knock her off balance and force her to jump backwards to regain her balance.

Suddenly the whole building began to shake, making the two stumble slightly. **"Heh, looks like we've been interrupted. We'll finish this some other time."** The Hollow smiled, sheathing her black Nodaichi.

"What do you mea-" Karasuba began, only to be cut off as she found herself lying on her bed.

Slowly the Sekirei sat up and looked around, the bed was still in one piece and the slash marks that littered the floor and destroyed furniture from her fight with her pale clone were no longer present. The only thing that was changed was the fact that her Nodaichi was left of the ground where she had dropped it in her fight, its sheath right next to it.

_"What the hell just happened?"_ She thought to herself, thinking back upon the fight and remembering the threats the doppelganger had uttered made her quiver with anger.

Her thoughts however were interrupted by someone knocking on her door; only two people could do that and not risk getting cut into little pieces and both were members of the new disciplinary squad. The gothic yet upbeat Haihane and the short tempered pink head Benitsubasa. Both were Sekirei of Natsuo Ichinomi, what they saw in that man she would never understand, sure he held the same hatred as she did but he had no power to back it up

"Hey Karasuba, come on we got a job to do!" Benitsubasa called from behind the door.

Karasuba let out a sigh, keeping the incident quiet seemed like the best option for the moment. With the first stage beginning soon she would need to clean up any deserters, which meant she had plenty of hunting to do. The though brought a sadistic smile to her face, the fear, anger and the desperation of her prey made the fight that much more entertaining for her.

Entertaining as they were, the Sekirei she was allowed to hunt were never really a challenge. The only rivals worthy of her were either off limits due to the sheer collateral damage their battle would bring or in Yume's case, sealed away inside the Tama of Musubi. The very thought made her blood boil with a mix of anger and excitement, her only equals being so close yet just out of reach.

_"Speaking of Musubi, I should check on the girl."_ Karasuba thought, her smile never leaving her face as she picked her Nodaichi off its stand.

The Sekirei lazily picked up her haori and threw the article of clothing over her shoulders, making her way out of her room and prepared for some stress relief.

_***Meanwhile* **_

"I'm finally done!" Ichigo sighed, placing his pen down on his desk as he finished filling in the rest of his college entrance forms.

Ichigo leaned back on his chair and stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment and thought back on his first two days in Shinto Teito. The first day he arrived he had managed to get a room at a nice inn in which each and every tenant other than him was a Sekirei, gotten attacked by a grey haired beauty a few hours later and become an Ashikabi himself. Finally he had found out that Karasuba kills people and Miya hated her, all in all a typical day in the life of the substitute soul reaper. Yet here he was, filling in college application forms like any normal eighteen year old while a gladiatorial tournament was brewing in the city.

"Can't anything be simple for me?" Ichigo groaned, laying his head on the desk.

As if a sign from the Soul King himself, Ichigo's combat pass badge began to vibrate on his table. "Hollow, Hollow, Hollow!" The wooden skull on the badge screamed, prompting the teen to sigh in response.

"Of course not..." Ichigo mumbled, picking up his badge and pressing it against his chest to push his soul out.

The teen's empty body fell back on the table with a muffled thud, his Soul Reaper form now released from the confines of his human body. He sighed and stretched, arching his back and cracking his knuckles to loosen them up. He always felt better in his soul form, he felt lighter, faster and overall more powerful that he otherwise would in his human body. He never really bothered with the details but Zangetsu often mentioned that all the energy that leaked from his soul was far too great for his human body to effectively control or contain, hence the reason his Fullbring constantly released energy in the form of black wisps of smoke. His normal soul form effectively produced too much energy, energy that the human body was not fit to contain.

In stark contrast to the resemblance that his Fullbring bore to his Bankai form, his normal Shikai form held more weight and bulk in appearance. He wore loose a loose fitting black Shihakusho, tattoo-like bands crossing over his crossed his chest wrists and ankles and a black striped choker around his neck to form a collar. The most noticeable change was his sword, now in the form of an overgrown Khyber knife as long as Ichigo was tall and about as broad as his back. He opened the window to his room and jumped out, disappearing in a burst of flash step the moment his feet made contact with the roof.

Ichigo jumped from rooftop to rooftop using Flash Step between each roof, while walking on air may have been faster he didn't want to risk any spiritually aware people spotting him. With the huge population of Shinto Teito there was no telling if anyone would spot him, that and the fact that Sekirei and Ashikabi had some degree of spiritual awareness meant that he would have some issues later of if any Ashkabi happened to recognize him. This game had more than enough being with abilities that while weak in comparison to a captain class Soul Reaper, would pose a significant problem to the people of Shinto Teito.

The late morning sun over Shinto Teito could be considered quite beautiful, a fact that the substitute gave little notice. The snow from the night before had been cleared away from the sidewalks by the city's hot water sprinkler system in the roadways and sidewalks.

_"It should be around..."_ Ichigo thought, stopping to take a look around for the hollow signature his badge had picked up.

"Somebody help!" A young voice called out, the source being a young girl running from a black mass of arms topped with a white, reptile-like mask as its face.

"No you don't!" Ichigo roared, pulling his right foot back and reached over his shoulder to grab the handle of Zangetsu and disappearing in a burst of flash step.

Ichigo appeared before the hollow in a burst of flash step, landing in a crouch between the girl and the oncoming hollow. In one swift motion he leaned forward and pulled his massive Zanpaktou free of its grey bandages, the substitute stabbed the blade into the ground in front of him. The tip of Zangetsu dug into the ground with a heavy thud, the Hollow charged toward the Soul Reaper that had dared to interrupt its hunt.

Ichigo let the Hollow slam into Zangetsu before he took hold of the Zanpaktou's handle with both hands to bat the hollow away, sending the creature was sent flying to the other end of the street. Only then did Ichigo manage to get a good look at his opponent. The hollow was a normal one in appearance, a reptile-like white mask passed as a head while a large circular hole in place of a heart. A rather human-like torso was connected to four blades that stood in place of limbs, unremarkable as far as Hollows went.

**"So hungry...I'm so hungry!"** The Hollow moaned, the both of its mask opening to reveal a gleaming set of human teeth from within its pitch black maw.

Ichigo's scowl softened, he always found killing hollows a pain and sometimes it got downright tedious. This didn't stop him from feeling sorry for the poor souls however; these were once normal human souls that simply didn't get found by a Soul Reaper in time to have a Soul Burial performed on them. Now they lived as Hollows, creatures that ate souls to fill the void left in their hearts after their chain of fate corroded. The scary fact was that most of these Hollows acted solely on instinct, only trying to ease their suffering and hunger. The orange haired substitute Soul Reaper rested the blunt edge of Zangetsu on his shoulder, the steel gaze of his ember eyes staring down the Hollow charged toward him.

_***Meanwhile***_

Sekirei rarely had more than three things on their minds, the first being their Ashikabi, the second being on winning their way to the heavens that Minaka had promised and the third would be the battles and hurdles a Sekirei and Ashikabi pair must face. Before all this can occur however, the Sekirei would first have to locate their destined one in the mess that was Shinto Teito all this would have to occur before the second stage begins.

There are some however that refuse to fight or simply refuse the possibility that they might be separated from their Ashikabi should they lose a battle. Those Sekirei often try to flee with their Ashikabi, resulting in a quick termination by the disciplinary squad. Karasuba often carried out these tasks on her own or simply left Benitsubasa and Haihane to do the Director's bidding.

Normally the streets of Shinto would be packed with people around this time of the day, pedestrians and vehicles alike would be rushing to and fro going about their business. Around Karasuba however the streets were deserted, MBI having diverted traffic under the cover story of a leaking gas line that they were currently repairing.

In truth the construction crews were a security team in disguise, ordered to keep potential witnesses out a certain radius of the disciplinary squad leader at any cost. While Karasuba would have no issue killing something as weak as a human, it would take more effort on MBI's part to cover up the death of a random citizen who got stabbed by a sword in broad daylight.

The Sekirei she was sent to discipline however was a complete disappointment, both a coward and a weakling it seemed. The instant she had spotted Karasuba's distinctive black and grey-clad form she had attempted to flee. Just as she turned around however a stab of pain pierced her chest, the Sekirei looked down to find the bloodied tip of a sword stabbed right through her heart. Just like that, she lay in a rapidly growing pool of her own blood.

The Sekirei was number fifty four, otherwise known as Kuruse. For the short time she was active she had large teal colored eyes and honey blonde hair, the short white jacket and red dress she wore now smeared in the sickening dark color of red blood. She had planned on escaping Shinto the moment she had found her destined one, something Minaka would simply never allow this early on in the first stage of the plan.

It was no fun when her prey was all shook up at the mere sight of the disciplinary squad's leader, they would never right at their fullest. She wanted them angry, full of rage and hatred before she killed them. She wanted them to truly desire to kill her and channeling all that hatred into power, finally she would silence them and all that emotion. She would watch as they would bleed out on the ground, the realization that they never had a chance of even touching her from the very beginning. The only thing that would be better would be if she could take on number one or number eight, none of which she could do...yet.

As quickly as the smile that graced the featured had come, it disappeared to form a blank stare. "No matter what I do, it isn't enough to satisfy me." She sighed, staring at the terminated Sekirei.

"This is all her fault, disappearing like that. It was supposed to be me to end her..." She mumbled, her eyes fixed on the slowly growing pool of blood.

Releasing a small sigh, the Black Sekirei swung her blood soaked Nodaichi to her side. The blood flew clean off the blade and splattered across the pavement, the liquid painting the concrete a dark crimson. With her task now complete Karasuba turned to leave, her grey ponytail and the hoari worn over her shoulders flowing smoothly in the wind. Karasuba slid her Nodaichi into its scabbard mid-stride walked; not even sparing a glance at the convoy of black MBI vehicles that drove in to collect the terminated Sekirei.

A dull throb of suddenly pain burst from Karasuba's chest like a firework, forcing the Black Sekirei to fall to one knee. Her breathing became hitched and ragged; slowly she raised a hand to clutch at her heart in an effort to stem the burning pain in her chest. Karasuba knew all too well what the cause of the heat in her chest, the leather creaking as she gave her chest a final clench.

_"Ichigo..."_ Karasuba thought, an image of the orange haired teen forming in her mind.

Closing her slate grey eyes, Karasuba focused in on the burning sensation in her chest. To most it would be like finding a single ripple in a lake, most Ashikabi were difficult to locate. Almost like locating a ripple in a vast ocean, thus was the difficulty in finding their destined one before the start of the second stage. Sensing Ichigo however was the complete opposite, the energy he constantly leaked seemed to come from everywhere at once. If a normal Ashikabi was a ripple in an ocean, Ichigo was a series of massive tidal wave that made it nearly difficult to pinpoint his exact location.

Finally tracking her Ashikabi through their bond, the grey haired Sekirei used her sheathed sword as support as she got up to her feet. Taking a few short seconds to catch her breath, the disciplinary squad leader crouched like a snake coiling for a strike. In one swift motion she sprung upwards, her hoari flapping wildly behind her as her heels found a roof. She landed with a soft tap on the red tiles of the roof before repeating the process, slowly gaining momentum and speed as she followed the distinctive energy of her Ashikabi.

_**-Meanwhile-**_

The hollow raised a bladed limb in the air, determined to skewer the Soul Reaper that stood in its way. Ichigo merely glared at the hollow's blade-like limb, Zangetsu still resting on his shoulder. Ichigo waited until the blade was inches away from striking him to twist out of the way, pulling Zangetsu off his shoulder to bring the blade down on the hollow's mask.

The massive sword cleaved through the hollow's head, splitting its head perfectly down the middle. Slowly the hollow disintegrated into black particles, like a black cloth that had been run though a shredder and scattered into the wind.

"At least it was just a common one, now where did that kid run off to?" Ichigo thought, swinging Zangetsu to his back and allowing the steel-grey bandages to wrap themselves around the blade.

Feeling the bandages finish fastening his Zanpaktou to the strap that ran across his back to his chest, he began searching for the plus the hollow was chasing. He turned his head to find the young girl in an alley, peering at him around a corner. The girl was about ten to twelve with black eyes and blonde hair tied in small ponytail on the side of her head, a metal plate on her chest with a length of chain attached marking her as the soul of the recently deceased. Ichigo's scowl turned to a soft smile, taking a knee to look the girl in the eyes.

"Did you get rid of the monsters?" The girl asked, stepping out of the dark alley slowly.

Stepping into the light revealed the gory nature of her death, the left side of her body from head to waist was missing entirely. The girl's head was crushed on one side, what appeared to be fresh blood coating her clothing. Her left arm seemed to have been ripped off along with her chest, exposing her ribcage to the world. The girl's heart was visible though it was no longer beating; Ichigo doubted he would be able to stomach the sight of her if it was still pumping blood out of her wounds.

"Y-Yeah, I got rid of them. Come on, it's about time you move on to the next world" Ichigo forced, keeping his eyes away from the girl's mutilated side.

It was by no means uncommon to find souls that had suffered a gory and cruel fate, that didn't make it any easier to look at them though. Regardless of their appearance though, they were just souls that needed to be passed to the next world. He watched the girl approach him before picking up his substitute badge, raising the plate of wood to the girl's forehead to perform a soul burial.

"Hey Soul Reaper Onii-chan, do you think I'll get to see my parents where I'm going?" The girl asked, already fading into particles of light.

"Sure you will kid; you just need to search for a bit." Ichigo sighed, standing up as the girl finally faded to nothing.

Ichigo stood in place, lying to the deceased never felt good to him. The memory of the individual would most often be erased as to ensure they would have no baggage from their previous life, it was cruel but necessary. If people retained the memory of their previous lives, some may go out looking for any attachments. If the size of Soul Society was any indication, they may end up searching eternally only to find nothing.

"You're a terrible liar you know? My Soul Reaping Ashikabi-chan." A voice behind the substitute Soul Reaper suddenly said, causing a mini heart attack in the teen.

Ichigo stumbled as he turned around, whipping his head around to locate his Sekirei. A shadow danced across the teen's peripheral vision, he craned his neck upwards to find her standing on a roof. Karasuba stood like an ominous scarecrow with her shadow cast over him, her grey haori flapping in the wind. The Black Sekirei's long grey ponytail flowed in the wind behind her, her narrow grey eyes visible between the messy bags of hair that framed her face.

Karasuba wore the same black leather top and black stockings, Ichigo had noticed small changes in her attire though. A thick brown belt was wrapped diagonally around her waist, her Nodaichi now hung from her belt. Black fingerless gloves now covered her hands; these gloves however were made of cloth instead of leather. She rested her hand on the pommel of her sword, though he suspected she was doing so to ensure she could draw her blade easily rather than idly resting her hand. He guessed she must have left in a hurry to find him the night before, leaving him feeling guilty about having a woman search the cold wintery city for him.

The disciplinary squad leader held the same devil-may-care smile; it was difficult to tell if she wanted to steal another kiss from him or attempt to stab him. She would smile in both scenarios no doubt, yet Ichigo didn't mind all that much. In many ways Karasuba was like the bloodthirsty and battle-crazed eleventh squad captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, only she was after more than a simple fight to the death. Karasuba was possessive and psychotic when it came to her orange haired Ashikabi, much to Ichigo's chagrin.

"You scared the crap out of me! Don't do that when you know I can't sense you." Ichigo groaned, prompting an amused chuckle from his Sekirei.

"What can I say Ashikabi-chan? You look cute when you're shocked, it makes me feel excited." Karasuba mused, her grip on her sword tightening ever so slightly and her eyes brimming with anticipation.

"Quit calling me that will ya? I have a name and its Ichigo, use it instead of Ashibaki-chan all the time." Ichigo said, the irritation with being addressed like a child apparent.

Karasuba hopped off her perch to face him, her loose sleeves and haori along with her long hair trailing behind her. The Sekirei eyes her young Ashikabi's Zanpaktou with keen interest; it was the same blade that Ichigo had wielded before only now it seemed more...alive. Ichigo did mention he was a Deputy in the role of a Soul Reaper; perhaps this was a spirit form that held his true power? Whatever the case may be, his transition from human to a Soul Reaper had brought about the burning desire for his power that smoldered in her Tama. One thing was for certain though, with Ichigo being so close it became impossible for her to hold this burning desire inside her.

"So how did you track me dow- agh!" Ichigo was cut off as the front of his Shihakushou was grabbed and he was swung to the ground with a muffled thud.

After Karasuba had managed to throw him off balance, the grey haired woman swiftly drew her Nodaichi from its sheath mid throw. She held the sword over her shoulder and stabbed downwards, pinning Ichigo to the ground by his collar. Before her bewildered Ashikabi could react, she leaned down and wrapped one arm behind him to pull him towards her. Karasuba's other hand reached behind Ichigo's neck and held him firmly, her eyes closed as her lips found his. Her tongue pushed into his unguarded mouth to wrap around his own tongue. A burst of black light surrounded the pair, a familiar pair of skeletal crow's wings on her back releasing in response to her Ashkabi's genetic code.

After what felt like an eternity, Karasuba pulled away from their rather passionate lip-lock. A smirk on her features as she licked her lips slowly, pulling her Nodaichi out of the ground and sheathing the blade as she got up. Ichigo numbly followed suit, too stunned by her sudden advance and his lack of experience in the field of women.

"That's as long I can stay for today Ashikabi-chan, I'll see you sometime soon." the Sekirei smiled, her heels clicking on the side walk as she walked away.

After taking a moment to recover from the shock, Ichigo's mind finally caught up with his body. "Hey wait a minute!" He yelled, running around the bend his Sekirei had just entered in an attempt to pursue her only to find the street empty.

_"Where did she go?"_ The teen thought, sighing at the lost chance to get any real information from his Sekirei.

_**-Some distance away-**_

A grey and black blur rushed above the rooftops of Shinto Teito, Karasuba leapt from rooftop to rooftop like a woman possessed. Her narrow eyes were widened and gleaming in excitement, while her mouth formed a wide, sadistic grin. Her breaths came in short, ragged pants as she moved. Karasuba had managed to keep her composure in from of her precious Ashikabi but now she was so full of power, so full of desire to spill blood.

"All this power... I need prey, any prey!" Karasuba seethed, leaping into the morning sky in search of victims.


	7. Chapter 7: Eclipsed Dawn

Hey guys, had a bit of thinking to do on this chapter with my beta, The Benevolent Scriber, the story arc begins to diverge from the original manga in this chapter.

_**Chapter 7: Eclipsed Dawn**_

Ashikabi and Sekirei that are destined for one another have a bond like no other, their bodies, hearts, hearts and souls remain linked as long as they are alive. Some Ashikabi and Sekirei with a particularly strong bond have been known to share memories, experiences and even emotion on a subconscious level. Karasuba knew what it meant when she awoke on a strange overhanging cliff that overlooked what appeared to be a city from Japan's feudal era.

The black Sekirei looked down to find herself in her usual black leather top, her haori draped over her shoulders. Her hand immediately went to her side, relieved that her Nodaichi still hung from her belt as it usually did. It would be annoying to be without her weapon even if this was her Ashikabi's dreamscape, never know when a threat might appear.

Where the cliff met the rest of the mountain was cut off by a dense forest of what appeared to be dead trees, their bare blackened branches spreading out like claws reaching toward her. A pair of tall wooden poles were placed close to the edge of the cliff; they appeared to be gallows of sorts. Only they had been cut across the middle by someone recently, the wood in the section that was sliced off lacking any wear from the elements.

_"What sort of place could this be?"_ Karasuba thought, slowly taking in the scene that lay before her.

The sound of clashing steel brought her attention behind her; anyone else would have been shocked to see a pair of warriors frozen in time. It was like viewing a paused video; her strawberry Ashikabi was holding a massive kitchen knife-like blade in his hand. The two remained with their blades locked, the sparks that danced as their blades clash frozen in motion while their clothing was still in the air like the two that wore them. Ichigo was keeping one hand on his sword's handle and other behind Zangetsu's flat side in order to parry an attack from another warrior.

Ichigo's opponent was a slender-looking man, a tall and slim build with a small scowl etched on his face. His grey eyes locked on Ichigo's fiery ember ones, his hands were covered by a pair of white fingerless Tekko gloves and a scarf wrapped around his neck. Other than the accessories that the man wore, his other garb was similar in appearance to what she had seen Ichigo dressed in. A black Shihakushou and batching black Hakama pants, the thin white Obi that held the uniform together was quite effective if it could be worn in combat like that. The man wore an additional white Haori with the Kanji for the number six printed across its back.

_"I guess I should have expected this, there was no way Ichigo could handle all the souls of the deceased by himself."_ She thought, perhaps the Soul Reapers operated like an army with commanders for certain units.

What piqued the interest of the disciplinary squad leader was his sword, it seemed... underwhelming as far as appearances went. The sword itself being was a simple katana with a bronze cross guard similar in shape and appearance to a four paned window. The handle of the blade was wrapped in lavender colored hilt-warping, an odd choice of color for a man that seemed to favor the color white to pick for his weapon.

**"That was one of Ichigo's first steps that led to what he has become now."** A deep, baritone voice said behind her.

Karasuba's eyes widened in shock, the Sekirei had never once been caught off guard like this. Karasuba wrapped her hand around the handle of her sword in a split second, the silvery-grey blur steel sliced through the air as the whipped herself around with her a swing of her Nodaichi. Steel met steel as her blade struck another one, a blade Identical to Ichigo's Zangetsu in every way.

Karasuba jumped away to gain some distance from the stranger that held her Ashikabi's blade in his hand. The man was tall, easily taller than Ichigo by almost a foot. He held the appearance of a middle aged man with sharp chiseled features; his beard remained unshaven while black hair flowed in the nonexistent wind. He wore a cloak similar to Ichigo's own, the form fitting back clothing and its red underlayer casting an ominous shadow due to the man's height.

The man's eyes were clearly set on the Sekirei despite the fact that they were hidden behind a pair of ember tinted sunglasses; he seemed to regard her like a father would if his son brought home a woman for the first time. His gaze held no warmth nor trust in them, only a skeptical glare being sent her way. Ichigo's blade hung loosely at his side, having long ago recovered from blocking her strike.

"Who might you be?" Karasuba asked, an amused smirk on her face as she raised her Nodaichi and grasped it in both hands.

She pulled her sword to her side, excitement at the premise of a battle burning in her heart. Yet the man made no move to attack her, he simply stood in place with his weapon hanging in his grasp. A long moment of silence passed, neither Sekirei nor Zanpaktou spirit made any sudden moves.

**"I did not bring you to Ichigo's memories to play with you Sekirei, this is something you must watch." **The man chastised, his deep baritone voice seemed to reverberate despite the open space they were in.

Karasuba's reply died in her throat as the sharp ring of clashing steel brought her attention back to the formerly frozen form of her Ashikabi, now he was very much in motion. The swordsmen jumped back, the force of their exchanged blows pushing each other back with a shower of sparks from their blades. Both skidded to a stop a fair distance away from each other, their feet dragging across the dusty earth of the execution hill.

Karasuba suddenly felt an overpowering pressure push down on her; it was like having a massive waterfall directly over her head. The Sekirei managed to bring her Nodaichi in front of her and stab it into the ground, using it for support as she succumbed to the overwhelming pressure and fell to her knee. Despite the immense pressure that threatened to crush the life out of her and the sweat that stung her eyes, Karasuba's eyes stayed fixed on her Ashikabi.

"Wh-What is this?" She groaned, raising a shaky hand in front of her and closing it into a fist.

Her grey gaze shifted to the otherworldly man that was with her, he remained unaffected by the pressure. He stood as still as he did when first appearing even his cloak was unaffected, drifting despite there being no wind present. He didn't even look slightly strained by the pressure that bore down on her, how exactly she didn't know.

**"That is spiritual pressure, the intensity of which varies depending on how strong the individual is. This amount is nowhere near his current level of power, yet you can feel the intensity can you not**?" He said, shifting his eyes to her.

Karasuba didn't respond, instead focusing on keeping herself from collapsing from the pressure and her eyes fixed on the fight.

Both combatants sprung towards each other once more, whipping their blades out as to slash the other, a sharp crack followed by a burst of air from the force of the blow forced her to shut her eyes to stop sand and dust from entering her eyes. When she recovered however, both Ichigo and the other swordsman were gone.

Both reappeared a moment later, their blades clashing once more in a shower of sparks before their leapt back and disappeared again. This patterned continued for a while, both clashing before disappearing from view, a burst of wind rushing past with each blow and leap. Though they were simply hacking and parrying away at each other, their blows matched her Mei no Tachi: "Kuon" Technique.

_"How are they disappearing from like that, it isn't an illusion so they're just moving so fast they vanish from sight?"_ She thought.

Both appeared once more, their blades crossing with such force that the sheer pressure blasted a crater into the ground. They skidded back, their feet digging a small chasm into the ground as they pushed back to stop their momentum. Both seemed to relax their stance, the noble lowering his sword and giving Ichigo a cold glare.

"Interesting... For you being able to master Flash Step in such a short time is impressive. However-" He said, his speech slow and monotonous.

"You're taking all this real easy aren't you?" Ichigo said, interrupting the man before he could finish his sentence.

"All you've been doing so far is casually analyze my strength, is it really a good idea to just do that?" Ichigo asked, swinging his massive sword over his shoulders and resting it there.

"You haven't been able to scratch me even once... or is this the best you can do?" Ichigo taunted.

"Wasn't it you who you told me that you would kill me before going off to kill Rukia, your own sister? Well I'll just make sure you never say those things to her again." Ichigo said, his infamous scowl on his face.

"My friends, my family... They would have died if she didn't make me a Soul Reaper when she did, I owe the damn midget so I'll protect her... I protect them all!" He said, swinging his sword off his shoulder to point it at the man.

Karasuba's eyes widened at that, some Sekirei consider each other as 'Sisters'. She had never seen her fellow Sekirei as family, the only thing they were to her were either pests or rivals to fight. The stronger they were the more fun to fight. Why was her Ashabi willing to go this far to help someone else, was this his reason for becoming strong?

"So show me your Bankai, I'll crush it and make you apologize to Rukia on your knees!" Ichigo said, a grin forming on his face.

Karasuba smiled, Ichigo's face was all it took to let her know that maybe they had something in common. Behind his serious face and semi-permanent scowl he enjoyed battle, his reasons for fighting may be different but he enjoyed them all the same. They were two warriors of the same kind, they crave strength even if they gained it for completely different reasons. She wanted to kill the strongest rival she could find, while he wanted to protect those close to him.

This drove a wedge in between them, like a deep chasm with a rickety bridge connected the two sides. She couldn't stop her bloodlust, he would never stop protecting the innocent from people like her. Sooner or later he would find out exactly what person she was, what then?

**"You get it now don't you? Ichigo will not allow what you are doing to continue if he finds out?"** The ethereal man said, staring down at her.

Karasuba was so lost in thought that she failed to notice the memory had long since faded away, still crouched with her sword help in front of her despite the pressure that held her down no longer being present. She looked down for a moment and remained silent, her thoughts on what would happen.

_"No... if he rejects me I'll have no way to achieve my goal, no reason to fight on. Sekirei cannot fight at full strength without their Ashikabi, if he rejects me..."_ She thought, shuddering at the thought.

Karasuba was snapped from her thoughts as the cloaked man turned his back, and walked along the path that winded deeper into the garden. His tattered black cloak flowed in the wind as he walked away, the large sword that was once at his side somehow disappearing into the darkness of the fabric. The grey haired Sekirei let him go as she felt herself being pulled away from her Ashikabi's soul, she had much to think about.

Karasuba woke in her bed as usual, dressed in the white yukata she always wore to bed. She felt more numb and cold that the usually did on winter mornings. The disciplinary leader swung one of her long legs over the side of the bed, bringing her other leg up to her chest and leaned her head on her knee. Her long grey hair spilled down her face like a cascading waterfall with it no longer kept in a ponytail

"Ichigo..." She mumbled.

-Meanwhile- 

Ichigo sighed, looking at the brand new phone he had just purchased to replace the one that fell victim to his rage at the Director. It was a necessary expense though; soon he would have to explain the whole ordeal to Urahara and by extension, the Soul Society. He hated dealing with the Soul Society, while they had helped him regain his powers he still held no trust in central forty six. They were nobles that view people as chess pieces, assets to move and use or threats to their precious lifestyle.

"Crap... well I guess I've got to do what I've got to do." Ichigo sighed in defeat picking up his phone and dialing Urahara's number and waiting a few moments for the shopkeeper picked up the call.

"My my... if it isn't Kurosaki-kun, this marks the very first time you've called me by your own accord!" Urahara's jubilant voice sang as he picked up the call, prompting Ichigo to scowl in annoyance.

"Cut the crap Hat n' clogs, you said you wanted a report by the end of the week so here I am!" Ichigo grumbled, knowing how pointless it would be to argue with the hat-wearing ex-captain.

"Ah, but of course! Now then, what have you learned of the strange reiatsu spikes in Shinto Teito so far?" Kisuke asked, forcing Ichigo's expression to turn serious.

"Some messed up crap is going on here Kisuke, the director of MBI is somehow releasing women that can drain spiritual energy." The teen said, his voice deep voice grave and serious.

Kisuke remained silent for a moment; he knew humans had an insatiable curiosity. Oftentimes they would ignore the consequences of their actions and cause untold amounts of damage. As humans would say, where individuals 'Played God' they would pay the price for it, along with any innocents caught in the crossfire. He had fallen victim to such circumstances himself when he made the Hogyoku, an object of such power that it almost caused the end of all reality as they knew it due to it falling into the wrong hands.

"How much do you think he knows of us Ichigo." Kisuke said, his cheerful facade now abandoned for a darker tone of voice.

"Nothing much in the way of Soul Reapers or Hollows, but he's been releasing these augmented humans that call themselves Sekirei, they seem to feed off the reiatsu of humans. Apparently they seek humans with above average reiatsu, an Ashikabi, and form a spiritual connection with them through a kiss." The substitute explained.

"The Sekirei protects the Ashikabi in return for their powers." The shopkeeper deduced, earning a grunt of approval from the teen.

"If I may ask, how did you know of all this Kurosaki-kun?" Kisuke asked, already guessing Ichigo's current predicament when he heard the teen release a long sigh.

"One of them bonded with me, her name's Karasuba. Her bond made her share my inner world; she also works directly under Hiroto." Ichigo groaned, raising his free hand to rub his temple and sooth his headache.

Urahara gave an amused chuckle at Ichigo's misfortune, no matter how much the Vizard changed over the years his talent of attracting trouble would stay no matter what. He pondered on what he could do about the situation; given Soul Society's track record with threatening humans like the Quincy it was probably best to help Ichigo handle it until he really needed the help.

"Well Ichigo, I'm going to come to Shinto to see what I can learn of these Sekirei. Maybe we can keep the Soul Society from intervening and taking your new Sekirei girlfriend away." Urahara said, earning an indignant sputter from the teen.

"L-look Hat n' Clogs, Karasuba isn't my gi-" Ichigo began, only to be cut off as he heard a click and the beep indicating Urahara had hung up on him.

"I swear I'm going to stab that damn shopkeeper one of these days…" The teen mumbled, shoving the cellphone into his pocket.

Ichigo sighed as he left his room, closing the door behind him as he made his way down the stairs. The entire mess was due to a madman that was trying to play god again, at the very least Hiroto seemed to be an average human. The only complication was Karasuba, the Sekirei had bonded so thoroughly with him that she could see his memories.

"_That just means she knows everything I know, she probably already knows everything. If she hasn't told the Director yet then I'm going to have to stop her before the thirteen court guard squads decide to take action… great, just great."_ He thought, crossing his arms as he made his way to the backyard.

Ichigo's scowl soften as he sat cross legged at the wooden platform, his arms reaching behind him to prop himself up as he looked at the sky. A long day of running around and performing his duties as deputy Soul Reaper was exhausting to say the least. By the time he had got back to Izumo Inn it was early in the evening, on the bright side he got to watch the sunset.

"Beautiful evening isn't it?" a soft, melodic voice called from behind the orange haired teen, prompting the teen to look over his shoulder.

Miya stood some distance behind him, the light from the open dining room spilling out from behind her. Her soft smile reminding and large gentle brown eyes forcing his scowl to soften into a small smile, a rare thing nobody had managed to do so far. The landlady stepped next to her tenant before kneeling down to take a seat beside the teenager, lifting her hand to push a stray bag of her lavender hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Ichigo answered, leaning back once more to stare at the red glow of the quickly setting sun.

"Hey Miya-san, can I ask you something about you Sekirei?" Ichigo asked, his burning ember eyes still staring up at the sky.

"Hmm…? What is it Ichigo?" The woman said, turning her gaze to her orange haired tenant.

"_The way he gazes at the sky, it's not the look a normal eighteen year old. He looks so much older than he is, like a boy… No, a man that has seen a great many battles in his few years of life."_ Miya thought, gazing at Ichigo's chiseled face as he gazed upon the skies above.

"You say you're a Sekirei, but what are Sekirei really? Are you some sort of new species? Modified humans? Spirits of some kind?" He asked, finally turning his gaze to his landlady.

Miya closed her eyes, as if doing so was opening a window into her past. Or maybe remembering her past was opening an old wound, making Ichigo feel guilty just for asking her about them. Yet he needed to know all he could about what he was facing before he could risk using too much of his power.

"Well, that's a bit of a story on its own. The tale of Sekirei and Ashikabi is soaked with blood; even I don't know the full version." She sighed, turning to face the garden instead.

"We Sekirei could be called gods that have descended to earth, looking for the destined ones we are to spend all eternity with." She explained, turning her gaze back onto the teen.

"So do you have an Ashikabi yet?" Ichigo asked and immediately regretted it as he saw the pained smile he saw on Miya's face.

"He... isn't around anymore." She said, making the teen look down to the floor.

"I-I'm sorry for being so insensitive Miya-san!" Ichigo quickly apologized, earning a short giggle from Miya at the boy's reaction.

"It's quite alright Ichigo, I've made peace with what had become of my husband. However I've put some thought into your situation and I..." Miya said, pausing for a moment mid-sentence and looking up.

"Do you hear th-" Miya began, the rest of her sentence being drowned out by a scream that seemed to come from above them.

Ichigo looked up just in time to see two figures fall to tree in the garden, a shower of leaves and dusk kicked up by their rather explosive entrance. The orange haired teen raised his arm to shield his eyes from the cloud of dust. By the time the dust cleared, the substitute death god was greeted by a strange sight. On the ground lay a young man, his back resting on the trunk of the tree and a girl dressed in a strange outfit. They were covered in dirt, twigs and leaves, no doubt from the fall through the tree to the ground.

He was dressed in a black jacket and a pair of light blue jeans, his hair was a messy black mop of hair with bags that fell over around his eyes and framed his face. Otherwise he was unremarkable, just rather thin and shy looking.

The girl that fell from the sky with him was very much different, sporting an extremely well developed and voluptuous figure. Her brown hair was cut hime styled with short bags cut to her chin-length hair that surrounded her head and framed her face, a single antenna-like strand of hair hung above her head. A single low ponytail was tied behind her neck and ended at her hips; her large brown eyes stared curiously at Miya.

She wore a rather tattered miko's outfit, a white gi with a red string decorating it. She also wore a red short skirt and a pair of thigh-high white stockings and mid-calf brown boots, a pair of what looked to be red fighting gloves completed the rather eccentric looking outfit.

"Excuse me... Who are you?" Miya asked, getting up from the patio and approaching the pair.

"Yo, you guys alright?" Ichigo asked, getting up and walking to Miya's side.

"Yes...ah, where are we?" The young man asked, looking around the garden.

"You're in the garden of my house." Miya said, earning a string of muttered apologies from the young man as he attempted to get up.

He immediately fell back to the ground, his arms wrapped around his leg. Ichigo noticed a small gash on the black-haired man's knee and sighed in annoyance. Sometimes Ichigo found it hard to believe a person could be in so much pain from such a small gash, he had experienced far worse in his years of being threatened by thugs and bullies. None of which could even compare to the pain of being stabbed, shot and slashed by spiritual beings while trying to stop a madman with a god complex from destroying the fabric of reality.

"Minato-sama, you're bleeding!" The young girl exclaimed, crawling to the young man's side.

The young man now known as Minato turned to the girl and covered his mouth, his face becoming beet red. Somehow the moment she moved, her tattered clothing came loose and effectively fell off her body.

"Mu-Musubi, your clothes!" Minato yelled.

"Damn it, how does that even work!?" Ichigo exclaimed, quickly shielding his eyes from the sight of the woman's bare skin.

"Oh my, it looks like they ripped." Miya said, covering her mouth with a hand to stave off her giggles at the both the young men's reactions.

The door slid open suddenly, revealing a rather irritated Kagari. He looked as if he had just got out of bed. The feminine looking Sekirei wore a black dress shirt and pair of black jeans, both articles of clothing were frayed and wrinkled hinting that he was actually asleep in his clothes. His hair was as messy and disheveled as usual, and bags hung under his narrow brown eyes.

"What's with all the noise, can't a guy get any rest? Kagari said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He paused upon making eye contanct with Minato however.

"You two know each other?" Ichigo asked, switching his gaze between Minato and Kagari.

**-Later-**

"It's just a scratch, you'll be fine." Ichigo said, leaning back as he finished bandaging Minato's injured knee.

"T-thanks, I'm sorry for troubling you." Minato said, his head hung timidly as Kagari took the ointment and bandages from Ichigo's hand to place it back onto the shelves.

"Don't worry about it, we only treated you because Miya told us to anyways." Kagari deadpanned, uncaring if he sounded inconsiderate or not.

_"He seems so familiar, have I met him before?"_ Minato thought, pinching his chin at he tried to recall where he had met the grey haired man.

The three men of the house were currently seated in the dining room of Izumo Inn, Miya having gone to find some clothing for Musubi. Ichigo was just going with the flow for the moment, having long ago given up trying to make sense of the situation. He simply kept his usual scowl on his face yet somehow mixing in a bit of confusion into the expression.

Minato seemed normal, yet he possessed some degree spiritual power. Compared to Ichigo the black haired man

_"One thing at a time I guess."_ The orange haired teen thought, finally admitting that the odd things just loved to happen around him.

"So you've been staring at Kagari over there for about two and a half minutes now, do you just swing that way or are you too young to speak up?" Ichigo asked, halfway between joking and a serious question.

"Wh-what no, I was just wondering if I had seen him before. He looks familiar for some reason!" Minato nervously protested, prompting Kagari to chuckle in amusement at his reaction to the joke.

"You don't remember? We were supposed to go for a drink next time we meet." The grey haired Sekirei clarified, earning a stunned look from Minato.

"Ehh... You're from Yasaka's host club!" Minato realized, looking as if he just realized the earth was round.

"It's Kagari, I use my real name in the host club too." Kagari responded, leaning on the wooden doorway behind Ichigo.

"Speaking of which, how did you end up in the garden?" Kagari asked, crossing his arms.

_"What do I do? Telling him I fell here because of Musubi's power would be breaking the strict rule of secrecy surrounding the game right?" _Minato thought, panic showing on the young man's face.

"Quit teasing him Kagari-san, we all know that Musubi girl you're with is a Sekirei." Ichigo said, earning a rather stunned expression from the black haired university student.

"W-wait how did you... what are you?" Minato said, confusion and shock evident on his face as he raised a hand to point at the orange haired teen.

"Yeah, probably should have told you that I'm an Ashikabi from the get go. Hey, better late than never am I right?" The deputy Soul Reaper replied dismissively.

"I'm really confused right now, so much is happening that shouldn't be happening." The young man moaned, holding his head in frustration.

"I know precisely how you feel, trust me man." Ichigo sighed smirking slightly at the fact that someone else finally understanding how he felt at having a mess like the Sekirei game unceremoniously dumped on him.

The small group of young men were brought out of their conversation by the sound of the Shoji doors sliding open, Musubi and Miya walking through. Musubi now wore a floral pink kimono with dark purple Obi tied around her waist, the traditional outfit seemed to hug her voluptuous frame perfectly. Minato stared, a light blush creeping onto his dumfounded features. Ichigo fared slightly better, looking down as to hide his reddened cheeks from the women.

"It would have been nice if I had any normal clothes but... unfortunately I only have traditional ones so..." Miya explained, lifting her hand to her mouth to cover stifle her giggling at Ichigo's attempt to hide his blush.

"Hey now, looks like two flowers have bloomed side by side. Two ripe strawberries too from the color of these two kids right here." Kagari chuckled, earning a long glare from a certain orange haired teen sitting at the table.

"I'm really sorry about having to borrow clothes from you like this." Minato said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You were wet and I do like to get involved in things. My husband did as well, those are his clothes." The landlady smiled.

"Husband?" The young man wondered aloud, looking to Ichigo and Kagari.

"Don't look at us like that, her husband passed away some time ago." Kagari explained, saving Ichigo from saying it himself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Minato mumbled, bowing his head in embarrassment having brought up the subject of a deceased loved one.

"It's quite alright, that's an old story anyways. Ah,ah! That reminds me, I never asked for you names yet?" The lavender haired woman said, clapping her hands together and dismissing the subject of her late husband.

"Ah, I'm Shahashi Minato." "I'm Musubi!" The Ashikabi said, his Sekirei's introduction overwhelmed his own with her exuberance.

"My name is Miya Asama, I own this inn." The landlady smiled.

_**-Meanwhile-**_

The barracks of the first division remained deathly silent as the captains of the thirteen court guard squads formed flanking their captain commander, Genryusai Yamamoto. The elderly Soul Reaper gave each of the captains a short glance in acknowledgement before proceeding slowly rising from his seat. The man had a heavy build for a man that appeared as old as he was.

Being captain of the thirteen court guard squads for more than a thousand years seemed to have taken its toll on the aging captain. Yet looks could be deceiving, many of the captains present had been in their respective positions for over half a millennia yet still appear as the day they had first died. His aged appearance complete with a bald head and long beard gave him an aura that simply demanded respect and reverence, the X shaped scar across Yamamoto's head spoke enough of his experience in battle. The captain commander lifted his cane, doubling as his Zanpaktou's cleverly disguised sheath and slammed it into the floor to direct all attention to him if it wasn't already.

"Captain Sui-Feng, report what the Onmitsukido have discovered of the situation within the Rukongai." The old man said, his gravelly voice demanding hand harsh.

A lone captain stepped out and bowed before the captain commander, a petite woman with raven colored hair cropped short. Like the other Captains present she wore the black Hakama pants, unlike the other captains however she wore no loose-long sleeved haori. Instead her haori remained sleeveless, only long armbands covering her arms. This was the captain of the second division, the stealth corps of the Gotei thirteen or more commonly known as the Onmitsukido.

"We have confirmed the reports sir, the villagers have indeed been taken by someone. There were tracks present to prove it, who had done so and why remains unknown as do their whereabouts." The woman said, getting up and returning to her place among the captains.

"Hmmm... Very well captain, we will dispatch a number of unranked squad three Soul Reapers accompanied by their lieutenant Izure Kira dismissed." The captain commander ordered.

As the other captains shuffled out of the first division barracks, the captain commander turned to his desk with worry written over his aged features.

_"These disappearance aren't just some bandits or insurrectionist, no one could hide from the Onmitsukido like this...which begs to question what are they planning and who are they?"_ The captain commander thought, unaware of the looming threat that faced Soul Society.

Review: You're getting better I think, some tenses still catch you out though. Nothing too bad. Added some cosmetic revision to help certain statements flow more easily. Should be good to post. Looking forward to what happens with the soul society. Adding Kisuke to the mix will be hilarious, and you can bet where he goes Yoruichi will follow like a stray cat. I can definitely see Kisuke trying to beat off Sekeri with a stick, never mind Yoruichi, donno if she would be amused or angry lol.

Anyway looking forward to more.


	8. Chapter 8: Let the Games Begin

Starting this chapter immediately after Chapter 7's release, once again my Beta is The Benevolent Scriber. Major story changes begin here; do tell me if I get any character personalities wrong. This one is more centred toward Karasuba and how she deals with her emotional troubles. Ichigo's part in this chapter won't be quite as great.

_**Chapter 8: Let the Games begin**_

All was not well in MBI's headquarters if the blaring alarms and flashing red emergency lights were any indication. The heavy thumping of armoured boots echoes throughout the glass monolith that was MBI headquarters. A team of five MBI security guards, each clad in the most advanced of modern police riot body armour and armed with taser pistols rushed to the upper floors of the building. The current emergency was the disciplinary squad leader, the woman known as The Black Sekirei or the attack dog of MBI.

The once loyal Sekirei had simply put...snapped, attacking guards at random and forcing the headquarters of the mega company to be locked down to ensure the outside world remained oblivious to the Director's plans. The guards rushed into floor that was the epicentre of their emergency, the disciplinary squad's penthouse.

The armoured guards spilled out of the elevator to a gruesome view of Karasuba's handiwork despite the fact that none of the light of the penthouse had were on, the only source of light being the city lights that permeated the large window panes. Gore covered every surface, the remains of the previous guard team that had tried to intercept her littering the floor. All around the once pristine living room were signs of her destruction, blood practically flooded the white marble tiles, severed limbs littered the area and some still occasionally let loose a squirt of blood from where they were once attached.

The Sekirei in question stood at the centre of the room, blood dripping from the Nodaichi that hung lazily in her grip. A frown graced her features, she didn't seem to mind the splatters of blood that landed on her clothing of cheek... instead she gave the guards an indifferent, almost bored stare.

"Wh-st-stop this, Minaka ordered you!" One of the guards said, sound more terrified than threatening as he levelled his tazer on the grey haired woman.

The guard's words died in his throat, along with the rest of him after he spoke. Before any of the guards could react, she dashed toward them and swung her sword if a wide diagonal arc. It was all over with a flash of silver that saw the group of guards hacked in pieces with blood spraying from their eviscerated bodies and appendages and pooling on the floor as they hit the ground.

"Why...why doesn't it feel right?" Karasuba mumbled swinging her blade to clean the blood off her blade and onto the already blood soaked marble.

"You made quite the mess haven't you Karasuba?" A deep, feminine voice called.

Karasuba turned to see Takami Sahashi, the head of several departments under Minaka's employ which were responsible for adjusting the Sekirei. Her ashen hair and red lipstick matching her formal white dress shirt and black pants strangely well for a woman her age, she leaned on one of the few clean pillars left in the penthouse. She pulled out a box of cigarettes from her pocket, shaking out a stick before placing her box back into her pocket and bringing out a lighter to light the cancer stick.

"I always feels good, the blood ... why doesn't it feel good anymore? Whenever I cut them it makes me..." Karasuba mumbled, tipping her head down and letting her messy grey bags of hair to cast a shadow over her eyes.

"It makes you want to go him doesn't it? Whenever you kill or swing your weapon you see that Kurosaki kid and worry what he might say if he knew what you are." Takami finished, glancing at the downcast expression of the blood soaked woman.

Takami took a long drag out of her cigarette, releasing a cloud of smoke soon after relishing its relaxing effects. The adjuster brought her hand to her mouth to remove her cigarette, covering her smirk with her hand. In all her time around the disciplinary squad leader the adjuster had never seen Karasuba so unsure and distressed before.

"_I guess even the Black Sekirei has her sensitive side, Kurosaki is her Ashikabi after all. It would be pretty adorable to see her all stressed out like a lovesick puppy if there wasn't so much death involved."_ She mused.

Takami took a final drag from her cigarette, closing her eyes as she flicked the smouldering bud of the cancer stick into a nearby pool of blood. The soft sizzle of last of embers dying out was the only sound that passed between the two women. Karasuba looked up to the adjuster, her eyes showing between her messy bags of grey hair. Takami's eyes widened at Karasuba's appearance, the Sekirei's narrow slate grey eyes always gave her the appearance of being slightly tired and disinterested. Now however instead of looking simply apathetic, she now looked downright terrible.

The black bags hung under her eyes were most likely from severe lack of sleep; water that gathered under her eyes indicated crying. Even if it was barely more than a few tears shed, it was a first for the disciplinary squad's leader to shed even a tear for anyone… even herself. This level of emotion, it simply felt so alien on the grey haired beauty's face.

"You could always quit you know?" Takami shoved a hand into her pocket and pulled out her box of cigarettes and lighter once more.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Karasuba grumbled, her hand itching to grab her blade once more.

"What I mean is-" Takami sighed, shaking her box of cigarettes and dragging out a stick she held between her lips.

"Quit being part of the disciplinary squad to be with him I mean." The adjuster clarified, flicking the lighter on, the dull yellow glow of the flame illuminating the darkened penthouse.

"I can't just do that, you know I can't do that. I can't leave until I kill that person, no matter how much I love him." Karasuba replied, her voice low and laced with hidden sorrow and disappointment.

"Huh… makes me wonder if you love fighting more than him." Takami mumbled, a smirk finding its way onto her lips.

In a fraction of a second the lit tip of Takami's cigarette was missing forcing her eyes to widen in shock as the said piece was falling to the bloodstained ground in a trail of burning yellow embers. A gust of wind blew past her face, turning her head to find Karasuba's back facing her. The Sekirei had her blade extended outwards, the culprit that had cut her smoke all but obvious as Karasuba slid her blade back into its sheath with a metallic clink.

"He's my Ashikabi and mine alone, don't think I won't cut you down for saying something like that next time." The grey haired Sekirei seethed with a backwards glance.

"You've gotten faster than before, your Ashikabi's doing I assume? Anyways, what I was trying to say is Musubi is living with number one and your Ashikabi now." Takami grumbled as she raised her lighter to relight the cigarette with an annoyed huff.

Karasuba paused at that, lowering her head as she chewed on the information that Takami had fed her. If there was any chance to have both Ichigo and a chance to have that rematch with Yume someday. She gave a soft sigh before taking a slow walk to her room; she needed to look presentable before visiting Mu-chan and her Ashikabi.

Ichigo muttered a long string of profanities under his breath as he walked through the halls of Izumo Inn, most being directed at his insane father. Unpacking his bags had revealed a rather large amount of... protection. While he respected his father's job as a doctor and his power as a former captain, he wondered why the man would bother keeping the facade of a fool after the winter war.

"What's got you all pissed off in the morning? You'll scare our new neighbours you know?" Kagari called, leaning on the frame of his door.

"Just my damn dad, the damn goat-faced old man stuffed some of my bags full of condoms." The teen huffed, crossing his arms as he turned to face the host-club employee.

"Ichigo would you come here and help Sahashi-kun for a moment?" Miya's melodious voice called from down the hall.

"Looks like they're here look sharp Ichigo." Kagari said, yawning as he retreated back into his room.

_"Sometimes I worry about the how that job affects his health."_ The deputy Soul Reaper thought, making his way down the hall.

Ichigo rounded a corner and came face-face with a round mass of green cloth stuck at the doorway to one of the rooms. Craning his neck to the side, Ichigo caught sight of Miya's lavender coloured hair and Minato's messy black hair. That could only mean the person holding the makeshift cloth backpack was Minato's Sekirei, Musubi.

"You got stuck didn't you?" The Vizard deadpanned, earning an apologitic whimper from Musubi.

"Could you help Musubi-chan get through the door?" Miya asked, earning a positive grunt from Ichigo.

A few minutes of futile attempts of trying to allow Musubi through the door ended with Ichigo losing his patience and simply kicked the bundle into the room. Miya's giggle practically filled the halls as she watched the three struggle.

"I'm...sorry Miya-san." Minato panted, the young man was on all fours and out of breath from all the effort.

"It's quite alright, I'm sorry for laughing so much." Miya sighed, her giggling finally dying down.

"I swear you're a sadist at times Miya-san." Ichigo sighed, dusting himself off as he turned to make his way out of the room only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder holding him back.

"Ara, ara Ichigo-chan~ What did this mouth say?" Miya sang, her sickly sweet voice now backed by barely hidden threat.

A purple haze seemed to gather around the landlady's head as she jerked Ichigo around to face her. The deputy Soul Reaper's eyes widened as a white Hannya mask popped into view, glaring at the teen as he began sweating. The other two tenants in the room looked on, stunned at the gentle lavender haired beauty's sudden shift in personality.

"I was...uh, joking?" Ichigo managed to say, at that his landlady's smile reverted to her normal motherly radiance.

"Oh, well then I suppose I should get working on dinner now shouldn't I?" Miya smiled, releasing her hold on the Ichigo's shoulder as she left the room.

"Landlady is scary..." Musubi whimpered, the two Ashikabi in the room nodding numbly in agreement.

Minato released a soft sigh as he sat himself down at the patio of the backyard. Thinking back on recent event, he went from a two-time college entrance exam repeater to becoming an Ashikabi in less than a week. Rising from his seat, the nineteen year old walked over to the spot that he and Musubi had fallen from the previous day.

"We fell a long way but we never got hurt, I wonder if this tree cushioned our fall." He mumbled, reaching out to touch the bark of the tree.

Like an explosion of thought, the moment Minato's hand landed on the tree he heard a voice. With an explosion of green light he found the image of a girl, barely older than ten years old in appearance, dressed in a simple white one-piece dress. Her long blond locks seemed to flow with the wind along with the leaves that surrounded her. Her large green eyes were filled with tears as he pressed the palm of her hand to his.

"Help me... please help me." The girl called, her voice seemed like an echo in the wind.

The young man pulled his hand back from the bark in shock, the image of the young girl disappearing with the withdrawal of his palm. Minato stayed in place for a moment, his form frozen in shock as he looked down at his hand.

"I'm coming already!" Ichigo called, stepping before the front door of Izumo Inn as someone knocked on the wooden door.

"My, my Kurosaki-san… impatient as ever I see." The visitor called, the carefree and obnoxious voice all too familiar to the teen greeted.

The Vizard stared blankly at Kisuke Urahara, the blonde bucket hat and clog wearing ex-captain of the research and development division. The man wore his usual dark coat, green pants and shirt, if anything it made him stand out greatly in the modern city of Shinto Teito.

"Oh, it's you Hat n' clogs." Ichigo deadpanned, stepping aside for the shopkeeper to step inside.

"Kurosaki-san, you're so cold to me…" Kisuke whined, his shoulders slumping down as he visibly deflated from Ichigo's rather annoyed greeting.

"Ichigo, who is it?" Miya asked as she descended from the stairs, the landlady's eyes widened slightly at the strangely dressed man at her doorway but she held her composure and smiled at the man. The woman looked to have just finished cleaning, her sleeves rolled up and a Hataki in her hands.

"Miya this is my… teacher, Kisuke Urahara. Hat n' Clogs this is my landlady, Miya Asama." Ichigo introduced the two.

"Now Kurosaki-san, you give me too much credit. I'm merely a humble, handsome shopkeeper." Kisuke said, bowing curtly to the landlady.

Miya hid her giggle behind her hand before returning the gesture with one of her own. "I'll prepare some tea, why don't you take a seat at the table with Ichigo?" She said, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Kurosaki-san, on a first-name basis with the landlady already. Don't tell me the first thing you did when arriving in Shinto Teito was make your landlady fall for you?" Kisuke asked, flicking his fan open over his mouth in an attempt to hide his grin.

"Shut it Hat n' Clogs! She isn't my Sekirei, in fact she and Miya-san hate each other." Ichigo grumbled, leading the blond shopkeeper to the dining room.

Miya set a tray the tray of team down, passing cylindrical cups of steaming hot green tea to Ichigo and his guest. She took a seat next to the teen, smiling brightly at the two men at the table. The tension between the two seemed palpable, even the usually eccentric Kisuke sank to a serious and darker mood.

"So, what did Gramps say about the situation here?" The orange haired teen asked, crossing his arms.

"Central and the Gotei thirteen do think this is a serious matter, however once again we're well… dead people." The shopkeeper sighed, taking a long sip from his tea.

"So, it's up to me again isn't it?" The Vizard sighed, grabbing his cup and holding it in his hands.

Ichigo stared into the steaming-murky green liquid and stared at his reflection. In a way he supposed it was a mixed blessing, The Gotei 13 had a pretty bad track record with dealing with humans with spiritual powers, the Quincy in particular.

"Excuse me but… what are you talking about?" Miya asked, her head tilted to the side and her large brown eyes gazing curiously at Ichigo.

"Oh of course Asama-san, the Soul Reapers are arrange into thirteen divisions. Each division is led by a powerful Captain, Ichigo here is an exception." Kisuke cut in, answering the landlady.

"Exception?" The beauty asked once again.

"Yes, Ichigo here is probably equal or even surpasses a captain. However he counts as a Substitute because he is half human, this also allows him to deal with situations that involve both the living and spiritual worlds." The shopkeeper continued, earning a nod from Miya.

"Getting back on topic, what did you say you made that could help me out?" Ichigo sighed.

Kisuke's goofy grin returned full force at that, reaching his hand under his dark coat and rummaging around in his coat pockets. Eventually the blonde shopkeeper pulled out what looked to be a small black rectangular box with a silver rim. Upon closer inspection the box was what resembled one of the newest smartphones. Instead of a company logo on the back however it had a metal plate, on the plate was the same stylized skull that was on his Soul Reaper Badge.

"Allow me to present the replacement for your Substitute Soul Reaper Badge! This here acts not only as a phone but your substitute badge and a way to keep track of your payments!" the eccentric shopkeeper cheered, raising the device inches from the teen's face.

Ichigo looked surprised for a moment; slowly he took the phone from Kisuke's outstretched hand. "Well that seems useful-wait, payments?"

"Of course Kurosaki-san, didn't anyone tell you that you were paid for all the hollows you killed? Well the Captain Commander told me us to withhold your pay until you were eighteen!" Kisuke laughed, the teen however was not amused and his glared showed it.

"Why the hell can't you people tell me these things…" Ichigo groaned, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand.

"So Ichigo is to be a mediator or some sort?" Miya asked, adding a curious tilt of her head.

"Well that's completely up to him, he could try and stop the game by killing the director but that would mean..." Kisuke trailed off.

"For now I can't do that, who the hell knows what that deranged bastard would do. For now the best thing I can do is win this damned game." Ichigo grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Kisuke sighed, "Well this has been informative, I really should be heading back to Karakura now...thank you for the tea Asama-san." He smiled, rising from his seat and leaving the room.

Ichigo remained silent as the shopkeeper left the Inn, staring blankly at the phone Kisuke had left him. Holding down the power button, the screen soon lit up with the same stylized skull on his combat badge. After a moment of what the teen assumed was the phone booting up, an animated version of Kisuke appeared on the small screen waving at him with his fan.

Ichigo blinked in surprise. "A… chibi hat n' clogs?"

"Hello Kurosaki-san! I'm here to help you figure out this device, thus I made this virtual me to help you, just ask-" The small digital copy said before he was abruptly cut off by Ichigo pushing the cancel button on the virtual helper.

"Sorry, one perverted bucket hat wearing weirdo is bad enough; I don't need another one in my pocket." The teen sighed before slipping the device into his pocket.

Minato was as confused as he could be when he found himself in a massive forest. All around him were trees, bushes and various other forms of plant life, strangely enough there were no animals. No birds were chirping and the forest seemed mute save for the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"_Where am I?" _Minato thought, reaching out to touch the bark of a nearby tree. "This place reminds me of the forest back home." He though, a smile finding itself to his face as he remembered the times he had spent there with his little sister.

Suddenly, the sound of crying filled the forest. Just like all the times in his childhood where his younger sister would cry in the forest, he followed the sound of crying to an old oak tree. Seated on one of the large oak tree's thick branches was the very same little girl that he had seen earlier. She hugged the trunk of the tree tears staining the trunk as her soft sobs filled the air.

"H-hey are you stuck up there?" Minato asked, the young girl looking back at him with large tear-filled green eyes.

A slow nod from her made Minato smile, it reminded him all too much of his own sister. Yukari would too get stuck on trees back when they were children and cry until he came to get her. "Its okay, don't be scared."

Holding his arms open, inviting the girl to jump into to his arms. "Don't worry, I'll catch you for sure." Minto encouraged, a smile gracing his gentle features. The girl seemed apprehensive for a moment but soon jumped into his arms.

The sudden shift in balance pushed the young man to the ground, his back now on the dry forest floor. _"This kind of reminds me of how Musubi and I met…"_ He thought.

Soon enough the two recovered, leaning on the trunk of a large tree. "So uh… What's your name if you don't mind me asking?"

"Kuu's name is Kusano…" The girl introduced herself, her shy voice barely audible despite the silence of the forest.

"She's pretty cute when she smiles though." Minato thought upon seeing the newly introduced Kusano smile.

"A-anyways, why are you crying Kuu-chan?" Minato asked, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

"It was Kuu's fault…Takami was bleeding when she got cut by the lady with the scythe." Kusano whimpered tears forming in her eyes once more.

"_Wait… did she say scythe?"_ Minato paled, the thought of someone as strong as Musubi wielding a scythe making him shudder.

Kusano kept going however, knocking Minato out of his daydream. "Takami said I shouldn't have come outside, but Kuu was stubborn! I need your help Onii-chan!" She cried.

Minato wanted to reach out to her and tell her it was alright, it hurt him to see a girl that reminded him of his little sister to be crying like that. Something was wrong however, the distance between them seemed to grow as if they were being pulled apart. He reached out the grab her hand, his fingers inches from reaching Kusano outstretched hand before he woke up.

"Kuu-chan…" Minato groaned, his sleepy eyes slowly opening.

As his sleep blurred vision soon cleared however and was met with Musubi, down on all fours over him, her face uncomfortably close to his. "M-Musubi?" Minato gasped, lifting the covers over his face in shock.

"You looked uncomfortable Minato-sama, did you have a bad dream?" The Sekirei asked, clad in a simple white T-shirt and black shorts that made her appear like a high school girl with an extremely developed body.

"All of that was just a dream?" Minato wondered.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Minato ruffled his dishevelled black hair as if to doing so would straighten it before he crawled out of his futon. Musubi soon followed her Ashikabi, standing up and folding her futon away with Minato.

"You seem to have taken a liking to those clothes Musubi." Minato said, more of a statement than a question.

Musubi nodded once, a smile adorning her features. "Yes, they're really easy to move around in!" She said, walking over to the window and sliding them open.

"Nice weather today isn't it Minato-sama?" Musubi said, taking a breath of fresh air and leaning out of the window with Minato beside her.

The rustle of footsteps on grass drew the pair's attention downward. Their new landlady held a strange curved wooden staff, standing still with her gaze fixed on the other end of the yard. Shifting his gaze, Minato caught the distinctive orange hair belonging to the other young tenant of Izumo Inn.

_"What are they doing?"_ The black haired man wondered, now focusing on Ichigo.

Ichigo stood motionless, the teen held a strange black sword with three bladed prongs towards Miya. Miya smiled softly before steeling her gaze, her hand flew to the wooden staff she was holding and pulling it apart. A metallic ring and a flash of silver that accompanied the lavender-haired woman's lightning fast movement revealed the curved staff to actually be a plain looking sword and sheath. Tossing the sheath away, the beauty took a defensive stance, holding her katana in front of her face.

Ichigo struck first, dashing forwards with and bringing his blade around for a diagonal slash just before slamming into her. Miya made a short hop backward out of the black blade's reach before swinging her own steel sword down on the Vizard's head. Ichigo pulled Zangetsu back over his torso, blocking the attack. Ichigo was too focused on the attack however, realizing too late that one of Miya's hands left the handle of her blade and grabbed his unguarded left shoulder.

Ichigo's eyes widened when his landlady displayed a feat of strength beyond what the slender frame suggested and threw him over her shoulder. The teen landed on his back, his head still spinning from the sudden shift in balance. In one swift motion, Miya flipped her blade and held it in reverse grip and brought it to bear on Ichigo's neck. She planted her feet on Ichigo's wrists, effectively pinning the Substitute down.

"Dammit, that kind of hurt Miya-san." Ichigo groaned, earning a soft giggle from the Sekirei as she stepped off his wrists.

"Did you get what you wanted Ichigo?" Miya asked, sheathing her blade as Ichigo found his feet and allowed Zangetsu to recede into his soul.

"Yeah, thanks for that Miya-san." He sighed, a giggled escaping his landlady.

"You have so much speed and power but such poor control." The woman said, attempting to hide her giggle with her sleeve.

"You aren't the first person to say that, never had the chance to work on too much other than the basics of Zanjustsu and Flash Step." The teen mumbled, a slightly irritated by the fact.

As the pair walked back into the Inn and out of sight, Minato released the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. The display seemed impressive but the two didn't even look like they were taking it seriously. He knew Sekirei were powerful but wasn't Ichigo just a human?

"The landlady and Ichigo are so strong!" Musubi whispered, the excitement quite literally forming stars in her eyes.

_"It's true, Ichigo and Miya-san are both so strong, whereas I'm just so ..."_ Minato thought, bitterly cursing his own weakness.

"Ichigo-san, please spar with me!" Musubi yelled.

Minato was so lost in thought that he failed to notice his Sekirei jump out of his window until it was too late. The girl had already made her presence very much known to Ichigo and Miya, apparently she had convinced the orange haired teen to spar with her.

"W-wait Musubi-." Minato called out, trying to stop his Sekirei from fighting his neighbour when a hand clasped his shoulder and held them back.

Looking over his shoulder, the young man found a buxom brunette holding onto him. She had a small smile on her face as she looked back down at Musubi and Ichigo. "I know what you're thinking but its better if she knows how to fight more seriously."

Looking at the black-haired man's expression Uzume gave a soft huff at his innocence. "There is no way for us Sekirei to avoid conflict, best to let her learn as much as possible before the real battles begin."

_"R-real battles, what does that make everything up till this point?"_ Minato though, casting his gaze back down to his Sekirei and the orange-haired teen below as they squared off.

"You sure you want to do this? I won't hold back." Ichigo asked, raising his fist in preparation for the spar.

"Yes, I need to be stronger if I want to fight Karasuba-san!" Musubi smiled, raising her own fists.

_"Karasuba again huh?" _Ichigo thought half-heartedly.

Musubi charged without warning, forcing the Substitute to dodge to the left in order to avoid the swing. Ichigo countered by grabbing Musubi's arm before she could recover. Using her momentum to swing her off balance, the substitute caught the Sekirei off guard when he threw a punch aimed at her head.

Musubi squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for the impact of the punch. One, two, three seconds passed before the Sekirei opened her eyes to find a cleched fist hovering just centimetres in front of her face.

"You're afraid." Ichigo said, pulling his fist back.

Musubi gave the young man a puzzled look, her head tilting to the side before Ichigo explained what he meant. "When you strike me, you're afraid of hurting me. When you block, you're afraid of getting hurt."

"But if I use my strength Minato-sama or some other human might get hurt." She mumbled.

"An old man once told _me 'Abandon your fear. Move forward and never stop, You'll age if you pull back, You'll die if you hesitate.'_ " Ichigo said, reciting the advice that his own soul had given him nearly three years before.

Musubi remained silent before an innocent smile replaced her previously dumfounded expression. "Ichigo-sensei is so cool!" The Buxom young woman exclaimed, her voice brimming with newfound admiration.

The rest of his morning in Izumo Inn had been spent quite peacefully. Other than becoming the pseudo mentor of an overenthusiastic Sekirei and her reluctant Ashikabi of course. Besides, from what Miya had told him Musubi was easily three years older than him, did that still make him a qualified mentor?

Thinking back, it was strange for Karasuba not to show her 'affection'. Usually his Sekirei would pop out of the woodwork and greet him as she did at least once for the past four days since he arrived in Shinto Teito. The substitute walked aimlessly through the inn, almost completely lost in thought before the ring of the doorbell brought him out of him stupor.

_"If Karakura was bad, this place is going to drive me completely insane." _The teen thought, huffing to himself as he approached the door.

Opening the door, the orange haired teen's vision was assaulted by a familiar shade of grey. The object of his thoughts stood in front of him, her usual smirk gracing her features. Looking down, he saw her still Nodaichi held loosely in her grasp.

"I don't really mind you staring at me but at least say something." The Sekirei chortled.

Ichigo let loose a sigh of defeat at the thought of having at least one day without his bloodthirsty Sekirei. "Well at least you used the door, unlike some people."

"Ara-ara who do we have here?" An all too friendly voice called from behind Ichigo.

The teen knew his landlady's sickly sweet tone of voice and the hidden malice in each of her words, a subtle threat of what was to come if things got ugly. Ichigo turned around with all the speed of a turtle for face Miya, a horrifying hannya mask floating amongst an ominous cloud of purple energy. Her small smile only serving to make the threat she posed all the more real.

A sudden tug on his arm brought the substitute's attention to the arm that Karasuba had decided to latch onto. "Hey what're you-stop making this worse!" Ichigo almost yelled.

"You are my Ashikabi, I get to do whatever I want to with you." The grey haired Sekirei said, an expression full of amusement on her face.

"What is that supposed to-" The teen was about to counter when he felt a pair of hands caress his jaws and wrap around his head.

A firm and strong pull countered any resistance the teen had managed to put up in his comparatively feeble human body. The Sekirei closed her eyes before bringing herself in. Her soft lips pressed against his, this kiss lacked the lusty hunger of their previous encounters and instead was innocent. The sudden contact didn't surprise the substitute any longer, what did catch him by surprise was the sheer emotion in such a simple act.

He could feel her heartbeat ... fast and powerful, it seemed almost desperate for his touch. Her breath slowed the longer their lips remain locked, the more genuine emotion became making even Ichigo slowly lose focus on his surroundings. The teen eyes slowly closed and his arms unconsciously drawing around Karasuba's waist. The kiss was broken a moment later, the pair looking into each other's eyes like a long lost couple.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is for a Sekirei to be so far away from her Ashikabi?" Karasuba sighed, her grip around Ichigo's waist loosening.

The teen had no response to her, a mix of guilt and confusion playing hell on his mind and soul upon hearing the pure emotion displayed by his Sekirei. "Y-yeah sorry about that."

Miya stayed silent as she watched the two interact, the lavender haired woman felt a dull throb of pain watching the two. She knew all too well that despite Karasuba's violent tendencies she was just like her, a Sekirei. Sekirei regardless of their shape or size were alike in the fact that they were creatures of love. The ones that found their destined Ashikabi more often than not refused to let their precious ones go.

Just like herself who had lose her own husband years ago, Karasuba must have missed Ichigo dearly. _"Am I really in any position to separate them without at least talking to her?"_ Miya thought, raising a hand to clutch at her heart as if to hold an unseen wound.

"Ahem!" Miya cleared her throat, snapping the two out of their trance and bringing their attention to the landlady.

"If you promise to behave, I will allow you to come in for tea and talk. I'm sure I can already guess what your purposes is in coming here." The woman said briskly, she turned sharply leaving a shocked Karasuba and confused Ichigo.


	9. Chapter 9: Gather the Flock

Hey guys Leo here again, I'm writing this about two weeks after writing the last chapter. I'm not too sure where to go with the story but I think I've thought far enough ahead to take the plunge and write this chapter. Sorry for the wait, I was going through another semester of college and now starting a new one.

* * *

Chapter 9: Gather the Flock

The atmosphere at the dining table was tense, thankfully nowhere near as threatening as the day before but still more than enough to be unpleasant. Miya took a sip of her tea, the cloudy green beverage warming her gently. The landlady sighed softly before opening her soft brown eyes, she met the slate colored graze of her guest.

_"Why the hell do I have a strange feeling about this_?" Ichigo thought.

Karasuba however held an impassive, unreadable expression as she stared at the lavender haired woman in front of her. The Black Sekirei's sword had been left leaning on the far wall, the long weapon had thankfully been confiscated temporarily by Miya before they had sat down.

"I know why you're here, however… the answer is up to you." Miya said, setting her tea down on the wooden table.

Karasuba gave the landlady a pensive expression. "Huh and what is that supposed mean?"

"It means you can stay here, with your Ashikabi on few conditions." The landlady said, taking another sip of her tea.

"Conditions?" Karasuba asked, leaning forwards slightly.

"First of all, while I can forgive any previous… misbehaviour I will not allow violence anywhere near my inn or my tenants. That would include Ichigo."

Karasuba's eyes widened, she half stood from her seat. "You can't-!"

"I can and I will protect them if I have to." Miya said, her voice stern and cold.

Karasuba paused before giving a grumble in defeat. "Fine."

"Good, no harsh language in the presence of other tenant and finally no indecent behaviour. For you and additional condition, no killing unless you're threatened first" Miya said.

"F-fine then, I accept." Karasuba mumbled, still fuming at Miya's indirect threat.

"Excellent, now you can move all your belongings later." Miya finished, setting the teacup down.

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief, he had just about enough of more problems being thrown at him to deal with. The teen was just getting up when a pair of slender hand wrapped around his shoulders. Raising his head slowly, the substitute soul reaper's heart practically stopped when he saw the faces of the two Sekirei. Karasuba gripped his right shoulder whilst Miya held his left.

"Where do you-" Miya fumed.

"Think you're going?" Karasuba finished.

"Oh no." Ichigo murmured as he was forcibly pulled down to his seat.

* * *

After a lengthy discussion, the orange headed teen was basically made responsible for Karasuba while she stayed with them. He would rather fight Aizen and lose his powers all over again than spend all of his time in Shinto Teito trying to calm the bloodlust of his seductive grey haired Sekirei. The teen slumped on his bed, all his strength sapped by the activities of the day.

"I'm really beginning to hate this city…" The substitute grumbled, his voice muffled by the fabric of the bed.

Ichigo ignored the creak of his door opening and the footsteps that indicated Karasuba's entry. He could tell it was her since he could only just sense her presence, he noticed sensing the beauty was much easier across longer distances. The closer the proximity between Ashikabi and Sekirei the harder it was to detect the individual Reiatsu of either. Karasuba was no exception to this fact, she was able to sneak up to up on many occasions despite the fact that he was getting used to her presence.

"What do you want now?" An irate teen grumbled, dragging his face on the bed so he could give her a lazy glare.

This only served to amuse the woman however. "I don't need a reason, I'll see you when I want to."

"Of course you don't"

Karasuba laid her sword upon Ichigo's desk with a metallic rattle before sauntering over to the teen's side. While Karasuba's aggressive physical advances no longer came as a surprise to him, his prudish nature prevailed. The first thing the orange haired teen felt were two soft, supple, warm mounds pressed on his back. Her toned midsection followed closely by the smooth skin of her thighs rubbing against his clothed and leg.

While Ichigo wasn't too surprised anymore, even so the teen's face burned as red as the fruit that shared his name. Karasuba laid her head over his shoulder, nuzzled into his neck and releasing a warm breath on the soul reaper's skin.

"Why the hell do you do this to me?" The teen mumbled, glancing back at the Sekirei that was stretching like a cat against him.

The grey haired beauty lazily met one of his eyes, giving him a look as if to say his question was stupid. Quite frankly the question really was stupid, if only her precious one wasn't so amazingly dense. Then again, Ichigo seemed completely inexperienced when it came to women.

_"At least that means I'm his first…. If I don't make my feelings clear now he'll never pick it up."_

Karasuba lifted herself over Ichigo's form, now on all fours as she hovered over her Ashikabi's form. The orange-haired teen rolled onto his back and propped himself up by his elbows. The teen's face was only inches away from his Sekirei's face, an uncharacteristic pink blush creeping its way on her face as a smile graced her features.

"Hey can you get the hell off-" Ichigo began, cut off by the woman leaning on his chest and drawing her arms around his torso.

"You know, us Sekirei are creatures of love. We all love our Ashikabi, even if for different reasons, some have a sibling-like relationship, other a parent some become lovers or friends…" Karasuba sighed, the pain in her voice was unmistakeable to Ichigo.

"All of the others could feel their Ashikabi in some form, yet for some reason I couldn't feel you. The only time I could feel something… anything at all was in the heat of battle, amidst the blood and the swing of my sword…"

Ichigo's infamous and near-permanent scowl softened, he felt a tug at his chest. In all her bloodlust and ruthlessness she still shared a bond with him, a bond of the soul and spirit. When their swords clashed he felt her pain, her loneliness and desperation. She hoped, practically pleading for him to be the one for her.

"Then I found you, and I'll be damned if I let any other Sekirei weaklings have you. You'll be mine, forever and ever." Karasuba practically growled, lifting her head.

Ichigo was the one to move this time, pushing his head forward and meeting his Sekirei's lips. Her eyes widened in shock from the sudden and unexpected initiative from her Ashikabi. Her hands grasped the teenager's shirt as her body went slack, an uncomfortable heat burning within her chest and midsection even as the teen broke the kiss for air.

"It isn't like I don't like you or anything but… love is just." Ichigo said, turning his reddened face away from the woman.

Karasuba gave the substitute soul reaper a small grin, vaguely resembling the bloodthirsty grin he had seen before. The Black Sekirei released her hold on her Ashikabi, much to her Tama's protest to stay with him. Picking up her sword, Karasuba gave her Ashikabi a final word before leaving the room.

"I need to tie things up with MBI, I'll be back later."

"Fine but don't we long, we promised to spar together didn't we?"

Karasuba closed Ichigo's door behind her with her lips forming a small smile as she left, it was refreshing to have Ichigo actually look forward to seeing her again. Making her way down the stairway, the hall forward was blocked by someone she knew all too well.

A young man with a head of dishevelled silvery-grey hair that eerily mirrored her own leaned on a nearby wall. His black dress shirt and pants wrinkled no doubt from his nightly excursions with various women, all in his quest to find his destined one. Karasuba couldn't blame Kagari, his special condition meant it was crucial for him to find an Ashikabi before the second stage began.

Karasuba didn't acknowledge the other Sekirei's presence, instead passing right by him. Kagari cleared his throat, prompting the woman to pause and turn to face him. They gave each other something between a glare and an understanding expression.

"Don't think about following me, the director knows all too well you tend to hold a grudge."

"I wouldn't have a grudge to hold if he didn't curse me with this body." Kagari said, clenching a fist he didn't remember holding.

Karasuba shook her head slowly giving Kagari a small, pitying… almost condescending smirk over her shoulder. Kagari fumed as Karasuba disappeared down the hall, the once smouldering flame inside her now blazing as she remembered why some hated Karasuba's presence more than just her violent tendencies.

Staff stepped aside as a hundred hushed voiced filled the lobby of MBI headquarters. Her disappearance brought turmoil to the higher management, some worried that she was starting another bloody massacre since her fit in the morning. A huge ruckus did however manage to be avoided only because Takami pulled her position within MBI and forced the other staff to calm down, assuring them that she knew where Karasuba was that she would do no harm… for the moment at least.

* * *

The grey-haired woman stepped into the elevator and hit the top floor, almost everyone in the lobby's eyes following her until the elevator's door's had closed before resuming their previous activities. The low hum of the elevator did not make for a good distraction from her thoughts as the elevator climbed up the various floors to the director's office.

Karasuba hummed in thought, brought out of her trance when the sharp ring of the elevator meant that she had reached her floor. The door slid open with a silent hiss, opening up to the massive marble laden room of MBI's mad director. Smooth and polished the black marble floors and white marble pillars paired with the large window panes that also made up the walls of the office.

For an office the room was almost completely barren of furniture save for the large wooden desk and wheeled leather chair at the far end of room. The Director's wild mop of white hair and pale complexion was illuminated by the dull blue glow of his computer monitors. The man looked up, the light no longer reflected from the monitors making his glare visible. Beside him Takami stood, giving the Sekirei a small smirk.

If Karasuba was taken aback she didn't show it, despite the fact that she wasn't used to seeing the madman serious under any situation. The director's serious façade broke almost immediately, a childish pout replacing his glare.

"Karasuba-chan don't leave u-" The director began, almost about to launch himself at the Sekirei from his chair before a hand grabbed his jacket collar and sending him crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Don't be an idiot Director." The Takami grumbled, releasing the man's collar and dropping the man unceremoniously on the floor with tears streaming from his eyes.

The Sekirei adjuster shoved a hand into her pocket pulling out a pack of cigarettes and shaking out a stick from the box. In another hand the mother of two pulled out her lighter and lit her cigarette. Taking a long, slow drag from the cancer stick and casting her gaze upon the other grey haired woman in the room with her.

"So you took my advice after all." Takami smiled.

"You could say that, I take it you know exactly why I'm here then." Karasuba sighed, resting her hand on her Nodaichi's handle.

The Director picked himself up from the ground, his pathetic appearance rectifying itself instantly. His voice and expression hardened, staring straight at the Sekirei's slate grey eyes.

"You've been with us since the very first day of the S plan, are you really going to leave us after all these years." The CEO asked.

"You're going to have to find another Disciplinary squad leader, to me my Ashikabi is always going to be more important. Ichigo will always be more to me than MBI ever was." The Sekirei said.

"I see… well I guess it can't be helped. We'll have all your belongings moved to Izumo Inn by tomorrow. " The white-clad man sighed, almost sad at the prospect of the long-time disciplinary squad leader's departure.

Dipping his hand into his jacket pocket, Minaka fished out a small silver credit card- a gift he gives all Ashikabi in preparation for their future troubles perhaps it could be also be called compensation of sorts. After all being an Ashikabi can be a monumental interruption to his or her life, be they a student like Ichigo or otherwise.

"Don't think Ichi-chan would need that, he has an... interesting job." Karasuba chuckled, giving the card a dismissive glance.

"Then consider this a gift Karasuba-chan, for all your years of staying with us." Takami sighed, plucking the card from Minaka's hand and tossing it to the Sekirei.

Karasuba smirked, catching the credit card with her gloved hand.

"I'm not thanking you director."

* * *

Ichigo grumbled a string of curses as he tapped on the screen of his new phone, stabbing and slashing things he could do- adapting to new technology was not one of his talents.

_"This almost makes me regret dismissing that tiny version of Hat n' clogs… almost."_

Hearing the chime of the doorbell downstairs, Ichigo pretty much knew who to expect. The next few years were set to be pretty hectic; at least he had some experience with troublesome house-mates. He wasn't too sure about battle-crazed women that may be in love with him, that was something very new.

Setting his cell phone down on his desk, Ichigo leaned back and threw his arm up over his head to stretch. Long slender fingers wrapped around his wrists and yanked him backward. The teen was met with the smiling face of his Sekirei hovering over his own, her messy bags of grey hair falling around Ichigo's face.

"How did you get in here so fast? I didn't even hear you come in." Ichigo asked, slightly shocked that she had managed to go from the front door to his room that fast.

"You left your door open." Karasuba grinned.

"Of course I didn't… I really should start doing that." The substitute sighed.

Still holding onto his arms, the Sekirei leaned down and pressed her lips onto his. She was pleasantly surprised when he pushed up a little to meet her in the middle. The kiss was chaste, lacking the lust and desperate desire of their previous ones. Also the first one that Ichigo willingly shared with her, it was nice that he finally began to feel comfortable around her.

It took a while before Karasuba reluctantly pulled away from a very red-faced Ichigo with a soft sigh. Releasing his arms and letting him sit upright again, she gave the orange haired teen a ghostly smile that he only barely caught before leaving his room.

Ichigo stared at the open door the woman had just left, he hated to admit it but Karasuba had pushed her way into his heart somehow. Well technically she had entered his Inner World, Zangetsu had told him not to worry too much about it though.

"Still that problem with that hollow thing she's got though…" Ichigo sighed, groaning in irritation at the thought.

* * *

Minato hummed, lost in thought at the dream he had the night before. That little girl in had called out to him more than once so he hopefully wasn't going insane. Were the visions another Sekirei reaching out to him? Rising from his seat on the porch of the back garden, Minato spread his fingers open, the young man placed his open hand upon the bark of the old tree.

_"It's almost impossible, how would I even find her in this mess?"_

The distinctive flash of bright orange and dull grey brought his attention to the corridor, his neighbour walked with an unfamiliar woman clinging onto his arm. He guessed this was his neighbour's Sekirei given the way she clung onto Ichigo much like Musubi clung to himself. Her eyes remained ahead, barely bothering to give the black haired man a glance as she kept by her Ashikabi's side.

"H-hey Ichigo!" He called, prompting the constantly scowling teen to face him.

Just before he had a chance to speak, the window between the two shattered into a million razor sharp shards of glass. Uzume flew out of the window, clad in only a towel that hugged her attractive figure. She seemed unscathed by the shower of glass shards and wood splinters, yet somehow the impact of her landing loosened the towel. The only layer of fabric that hid her bare chest fell to her waist and exposed her half-nude form to the young men below.

"How the hell that does that work!?" Ichigo yelled, his face tinged red before an arm flew his over his eyes and blocked his view of Uzume's body.

Karasuba stood behind her Ashikabi, left forearm covering his eyes and her right drawing her Nodaichi from its sheath. Ichigo gave an indignant sputter when he felt a soft warmth press against his back. Pressing her chest to the teen's back, the Sekirei angled herself so that her blade was pointed toward Uzume whilst covering her Ashikabi's eyes. Unfortunately for Ichigo, Karasuba had no such aversion to physical contact when it came to Ichigo.

Uzume spotted Minato, the Cheshire grin gracing her features as she jumped behind him and wrapped an arm over his chest. "You're that girl's Ashikabi aren't ya? Well I don't really wanna fight so could you call her off?"

Musubi jumped out of the smashed window, with her fist raised and in no better a state of dress than Uzume. "Stay away from my Minato-sama!"

"Mu-chan?" Karasuba's eyes widened, one of the reasons she had decided to leave MBI's disciplinary squad right in front of her.

"You know each other?" Ichigo asked, trying to free himself of Karasuba's vice-like grip.

"Karasuba-sama!" Musubi cheered, finding the woman that she had promised rival to before the games.

Musubi's cheer quickly turned to ire as her attention was redirected to Uzume, still standing behind her Ashikabi. "Let Minato-sama go!" She demanded, cocking back a fist in preparation to strike the offending woman.

"Mu-Musubi, just wait a second..." The Ashikabi stammered, holding his open palms up in a futile attempt to dissuade his Sekirei from attacking.

"He-hey, what the hell's goin' on!?" Ichigo yelled, half tempted to pry Karasuba's arm off his eyes. He decided against it lest he face his Sekirei's wrath.

"Nothing you need to see!" Karasuba growled, pressing her body against Ichigo's back effectively silencing the younger man.

Disregarding the fact that Minato was in her way, Musubi charged forward and swung her fist down. A flicker of motion between the attacking Sekirei and her Ashikabi followed by a the metallic clang of a fist striking metal was the only indication of Miya's arrival. What appeared to be a lid in one hand blocking Musubi's monstrous strength and a ladle in the other made it apparent she had been in the midst of preparing dinner.

Ichigo finally managed to sneak a peek over Karasuba's arm, at first the teen struggled to understand what had just occurred. Slowly his mind caught up to what he was seeing, his eyes widening when he saw little more than a dent on the seemingly thin metal lid.

The small smile that graced the landlady's features melted into a small scowl, raising the ladle in her hand and striking Musubi on the forehead. "Where are your manners as a girl, fighting like this is frivolous!" She chastised.

"Yes... I'm really sorry landlady..." Musubi whimpered, the busty Sekirei holding her head in pain.

Uzume sniggered behind Minato's shoulder, having someone else being scolded for once was a welcome change.

"Hehehee... You got scolded by Miya-san." Uzume said between her laughs.

Miya's head snapped around, her unorthodox weapon pointed at the Sekirei hiding behind her human shield. Uzume gave a high pitched squeak and ducked behind Minato's shoulder in an attempt to avoid the gaze of the purple haired beauty.

"The same goes for you Uzume. While I won't ask what caused this mess I'll reiterate one of my rules, I will tolerate no violence in this house." Miya sternly warned, her fierce gaze swept across everyone present and lingered slightly on Karasuba.

"Have I made myself perfectly clear?" Miya asked, her malicious smile taking Minato aback.

Minato quickly nodded, scared out of his skin of the sudden change is his landlady's normally gentle and motherly aura. Miya's smile lost its veiled threat almost immediately, returning to the beautiful and serene expression she always seemed to carry.

"Well then, I suppose I should get back the kitchen. Dinner is almost ready everyone." Miya said, disappearing into the house a moment later.

Ichigo smirked, prying Karasuba's arm off his face and pulling away from her. Karasuba cast the Vizard a glare but soon relented, seeing as Uzume and Musubi had at least made themselves somewhat decent.

"Yeah, Miya-san can get scary when you break her rules. Follow them and you should be fine, piss her off and well... you get the idea." Ichigo sighed, leaving to help Karasuba finish setting up her room.

* * *

Ichigo leaned on the door, Karasuba had unsurprisingly simple tastes. A futon was folded away in the closet and a single stand held her sheathed Nodaichi, the weapon proudly displayed with its gentle curve pointing upwards to maintain its edge. multiple sets of her usual clothing.

_"Doesn't she have any other damn clothes?"_ Ichigo thought, he mentally shrugged at her limited wardrobe.

Speaking of the grey haired beauty, Karasuba had seated herself at a far corner of her new room and simply closed her eyes. An uncomfortable silence settles between the pair, neither Ashikabi nor Sekirei eager to start a conversation. The teen sighed and reached back, rubbing the back of his head had always been a habit of his whenever he was nervous.

Ichigo spoke first, "So, you aware of the other 'Karasuba'?"

The Sekirei's eyes widened for a split second, "I shouldn't be surprised you know about the hussy should I?"

"She isn't just some other person in your soul you know, she's as much part of you as your sword is." Ichigo said, his words holding memories of his own initial reaction to his own resident albino.

Karasuba gave her Ashikabi a half-lidded stare, catching him completely off guard when she moved. He had almost forgotten how swift the grey haired woman could be, within half a second she was upon him. Yet what he expected to be another lust-filled attack turned out to be somewhat innocent.

She had pulled him close, arms wrapped around his torso and her face buried on his neck. It was uncharacteristic for the normally bloodthirsty woman to be affectionate. He was taken aback initially but calmed down a moment later, a recent memory drifted into his mind. Just as his former employer, Ikumi Unagiya, had once done for him, he would be there for Karasuba when she is vulnerable like he was those months ago.

_"The only difference being is that the adult is the one that needs the kid."_ Ichigo thought, wrapping his arms around his Sekirei.

In a way he felt sorry for her, she could feel his soul as well as he could feel hers. They were bound together now, there was nothing they could hide from each other. Everyone fights for a reason that sometimes even they weren't aware of, fire-fighters did it to save lives, soldiers fought to protect their countries and he fought for his friends and family.

Karasuba however simply fought to fill the void in her heart, to stave off the loneliness that ate away at her. Miya had told Ichigo of the deep relationship that an Ashikabi and Sekirei, Karasuba was one of the first of their number. Perhaps it was due to her being brought into the world four years before him, either way she didn't want to let him go now that she had finally found him.

The two said nothing, simply holding each other for what felt like an eternity compressed within a few seconds until a knock on Karasuba's door brought them out of their stupor. "Karasuba, Ichigo time for dinner!" Uzume called.

The grey haired Sekirei sighed into the teen's chest before slowly raising her head to meet his amber gaze. Giving her Ashikabi a quick peck on the lips, happily surprised when he returned the gesture albeit looking away in an attempt to hide his blush. The pair left the room, walking a short distance before coming upon Miya leaving Minato's room. Flashing Ichigo a smile while pointedly ignoring Karasuba, she gave the pair a short nod before disappearing down the stairs.

Minato's mop of dishevelled black hair stepped into his line of sight. The shorter man looking absolutely exhausted, slouching down so far that his knuckles were almost dragging on the ground.

"Yo, how's it going?" Ichigo asked, giving the Ronin a lazy wave.

"Oh... Ichigo, I was making sure Musubi apologized for this evening. But-" Minato stopped mid-sentence, whipping around to stare outside the window as if someone had called from outside.

"Hey what're you-" Ichigo peered around the older teen's shoulder to see what had him so distracted.

Finding nothing, Ichigo merely shrugged before going on his way to the dining room. Leaving Minato spaced out and staring out the window. Karasuba had already left his side, finding it a waste of time to socialize with Musubi's Ashikabi.

_"I swear I heard a voice though..."_ Minato thought, scratching the back of his head in thought before following the other Ashikabi down the stairway.

* * *

Ichigo walked in to a scene that froze the core of his very soul, his own Sekirei and his landlady…working together. Miya, ever motherly and gentle was bringing the main dishes out while Karasuba set up the tableware. The two could barely stand being in the same room let alone setting the dinner table together.

Noticing her dumbstruck tenant, Miya walked toward Ichigo and gave him a puzzled expression. "Ichigo, are you feeling alright?"

"I think he's having trouble believing what he's seeing, can't say I blame him." Homura calmly said, walking around the dumbfounded teen and taking his seat at the table.

Smirking, Karasuba stepped forwards and took the substitute's hand, dragging him to the table like a lifeless zombie shuffling from the grave. Minato, his Sekirei and Uzume soon joined them at the dinner table, all settling into the usual chaos of the dinner table.


End file.
